Friday 25th - 6:00 pm Welcome Dinner
Saturday 26th - Visit to Woody Williams Gold Star Families Memorial / Award-Winning BBQ Dinner
Sunday 27th - Departures
*East and West Coast Flights may be early arrivals on Thursday 24th
The 2025 Retreat will be held at the beautiful Yogi Bear's Jellystone Park in Wichita Falls, Texas!
14145 U.S. 287 North
Thank you, American Airlines, for your generous donation to provide air travel for our out-of-state guests!
Your donation will help sponsor a Gold Star Mom, a Gold Star Dad, or a Gold Star couple. Your generosity and support is what makes these smiles happen!
Your support and contributions will enable us to meet our goals and improve conditions. Your generous donation will fund our mission.
We begin our weekends with a "Welcome Dinner" and open mic night on Friday, then ease into Saturday with a hearty breakfast and outline of the day's activities. Sundays begin with a casual breakfast then we say "farewell" to our families.
SaraMae Hollandsworth has been a Wellness and Fitness Professional for over 20 years. She is a Level 3 Fascia Stretch Specialist, Certified Personal Trainer, an Integrative Nutrition Health Coach, a GORUCK Ambassador and Adaptive Athlete. She is the Oregon co-lead of So Every BODY Can Move, a state based legislative movement to expand access to physical activity prostheses. Health and Fitness have been her life’s work, and it is her passion to pay it forward, especially in honor and service of our nation’s warriors.
Have a testimonial about one of our retreats? Send us an email at GSPRTX@gmail.com and we'll post it here!
"(SSG Burgess) your parents and the things they are doing to honor and respect your service and all of our sons and daughters as Gold Star Parents coordinators, is something very special. They are doing you proud and helping many of us heal."
Ralph Hanson, Gold Star Dad and Retreat attendee.
Carry The Load
Memorial May March
The Dallas Memorial March, hosted in Carry The Load’s hometown, is our flagship event and the culmination of the National Relay. The March is a 2-day Memorial Day weekend event honoring service members and their families for the sacrifices they make.
Learn more about the Dallas Memorial March
We're thrilled to have Daun join us as our Retreat Masseuse!
Daun Lyons is a Licensed Athletic Trainer and Certified Acupuncturist from Stillwater, Oklahoma. Daun is the owner of Battleground Training and Rehabilitation where she is pioneering holistic health and wellness in the field of sports medicine.
Daun enjoys yoga, gardening, tending to her chickens and spending time with her son, Barrett, exploring new places and meeting new people.
What is covered as far as expenses? We cover your room and meals and entertainment for the entire weekend. Parents are responsible for their own travel expenses.