Abigail Jenks Memorial Ruck Race to be held Memorial Day at Gavin Park

SARATOGA SPRINGS —

This Memorial Day, the Abigail Jenks Memorial Ruck Race will be held at Gavin Park, offering the opportunity to honor local service member Abigail Jenks and raise money for scholarships in her honor.

The race will take place May 29 at 9 a.m, and is in honor of Specialist 4th class Abigail Jenks, the first woman from the Capital Region to enlist as a combat paratrooper, where she was assigned to the 82nd Airborne division. Jenks passed away during a routine helicopter training mission in 2021, and the race was designed to raise money for scholarships in her honor.

Jack Trimmings, organizer of the race, said this is the first year the race will be open to the public in an effort to raise awareness and honor Jenks’ legacy.

“Last year, we set up a scholarship fund in the name of Abigail Jenks for the high school,” said Trimmings. “We completed a ruck last year, on a walkathon basis. We took GoFundMe funds, and that went toward the scholarship, and to host the event this year.”

Along with Vincent Sablich, who is now his partner in organizing the event, Trimmings and several friends completed a 22-mile ruck in honor of Jenks last year. This year, the group is opening the event to the local community members for the first time.

Funds raised will go toward two scholarships to be given to graduating seniors from Saratoga Springs High School. Trimmings said the idea is for one scholarship to go to a student committed to military service, and for the other to go to a student who is exemplary in the arts.

“Abigail was actually a very talented artist and painter,” Trimmings said. “That’s also kind