A charity 5K race that raises hundreds of thousands of dollars for Marines and their families will take place in Seaside Heights this weekend.

Large crowds are expected at the boardwalk for the Seaside Semper Five charity race. The event returns after it was limited last year because of the pandemic.

“It just shows that people want to support the military, absolutely,” says race director Frank Costello.

Costello has been supporting the military for eight years. The Seaside Semper Five raises money for the Marine Raider Foundation, which helps Marines recovering from service and families in mourning.

The event is rallying from the COVID-19 pandemic, much as it did after a terrorist attack in 2016. A bomb went off in a garbage can near the race route. The race had not started yet, and no one was hurt. Thousands of supporters showed up the next year – a record turnout.

“I think people just want to show they were not going to be intimidated by the bombing,” Costello says.

Marines from around the world join in on the event. A banner from 2014 was signed by the United States Embassy in Kabul. It is displayed with pride.

The bombing last month in Afghanistan that killed 13 U.S. troops is a stark reminder of the sacrifice service members make.

“As a Marine, we’re tried to take care of our own and when you lose some of your own, you feel it,” says retired Marine Lt. Col. Earl Kevin Mosley.

Mosley knows firsthand, having served in the Gulf War.

Americans have largely already turned their focus away from Afghanistan. But for those affected by the war, the pain is everlasting.

“Events like this bring it to the forefront, I think. Really helps connect our service with our community,” says Mosley.

He says that fundraising matters because injuries sustained during war require more support than most people realize.

News 12 New Jersey is a sponsor of the event. It will take place on Saturday.