Sandra Boldt
Chapter President
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 21, 2025
In 2018, Bob Lyons launched what we know today as March to the Memorial in South Bend. A 21-mile walk from Martin’s in Erskine Plaza to the 9/11 Memorial at St. Patrick’s County Park. This year, Blue Star Mother’s NWI is planning on participating in that march. Chapter President Sandra Boldt, along with a few others are gearing up to walk the 21 miles commemorating a 21-gun salute weaving through South Bend.
When asked about her decision to take on the march, Boldt shared, “My reasons for participating in this walk are two-fold. One is to honor those who lost their lives due to the events of 9/11. The other is because of something that was once shared with me by a volunteer at the Flight 93 Memorial. He was one of the first FAA investigators onsite where Flight 93 crashed. He told me about some of the things that he witnessed and how difficult it was. I asked him why he returned and volunteered. He shared that he did so to make sure that the next generation knows what happened. This has really stuck with me and I feel that this walk is a way to help ensure that we do not forget.”
When asked about his journey with March to the Memorial, Lyons shared, “I remember when I first walked in the original St. Louis March to the Arch and saw a ¼ mile long line of American flags, it gave me the chills and still does to this day. There is not a cooler visual out there than a line of American flags on 9/11. When I moved [to South Bend] in 2018, I did a lot of research to assure I wasn’t stepping on anyone’s toes with the concept. I did not see anything large that really engaged the public in this type of format. There may have been a 5k, but they come and go. We plan to be here for many years to come.
St. Joe Valley Blue Star Mothers #6 (Blue Star Mothers NWI) is a group of mothers, veterans, and others who want to help our military heroes. We are a 501(c)3 non-profit organization and part of the national organization, Blue Star Mothers of America, Inc. The national organization was chartered in 1942 and Congressionally chartered in 1960. Our chapter was chartered in 2008 prior to which several of our members had belonged to a chapter in St. Joseph, Michigan. The national organization was organized in 1942 and Congressionally chartered in 1960. We are a service and support organization for the military, their families, Veterans, and for each other. Our chapter covers ten counties which include St. Joseph, Marshall, Starke, LaPorte, Lake, Porter, Fulton, Elkhart, Kosciusko, and Pulaski counties.
“When people walk with us, we re-create a small sense of the unity our country experienced the days after 9/11.” -Bob Lyons, Creator of South Bend March to the Memorial