Most racers didn’t carry anything with them — aside from adrenaline and honor for Amy King in their hearts — but Paul “Paulie” Veneto pushed an airline beverage cart that has become a memorial in itself. The cart is covered in important 9/11 information: flight information for the hijacked planes and the time they hit the Twin Towers, the Pentagon or, in the case of Flight 93, when it crashed.

Veneto began pushing the cart during events such as these and otherwise to honor the crew members lost during the horrific attacks on 9/11, including Amy King. Previously, Veneto walked the cart from Boston to Ground Zero in New York City. Veneto had previously flown with King, and made the trek to Celoron to honor her memory on Saturday.

Veneto said he was “grateful to be here” and to have met King’s family and fellow community members. He said he had pushed the cart for one reason and “one reason only: to recognized Amy and the rest of those crew members for what they did that morning.”

“I didn’t do it to prove I was a great athlete, because I’m not,” he said. “They were the first ‘first responders.’ I’m in the presence of a true hero’s family and not many people get to say that — that they knew a hero’s family or knew a hero. And now, I know her family. It’s a miracle. I’ll see you guys at the finish line.”

Veneto is pictured speaking to attendees Saturday shortly before the 5k race. “I didn’t do it to prove I was a great athlete, because I’m not. They were the first ‘first responders.’ I’m in the presence of a true hero’s family and not many people get to say that,” he said. P-J photo by Katrina Fuller

The crowd readied, and at the sound of a starter pistol, the race participants took off, with Veneto pushing his memorial cart along with them. Dozens of racers joined in the effort despite the frigid weather.

Jackson Vanstrom, a young racer, said this was the first race he had participated in since COVID began.

“You can tell from all these excited runners here that the event is already a success,” he said. “We’re doing this in remembrance of Amy King.”

County Executive PJ Wendel was spectating the event. Wendel was a friend of King and said he was glad to be there in support of the event and the King family. He said King grew up in Celoron, adding that it was fitting to hold the race in her hometown.

“After 20 years of it, it kind of came back to where she was from — it’s really impressive,” he said. “We went to school together, actually. My brother’s and her birthday were a day a part. They were actually prom king and queen together.”

Wendel said it was great to see so many people out to support the event in remembrance of King.

For more information on Paul Veneto’s memorial project, “Paulie’s Push,” visit PauliesPush.com or find him on Facebook under “Paulie’s Push.”