CRANBERRY TWP — A 5K road race that has supported military troops for three years will continue at a new location this year.

The fourth annual March for the Military 5K Walk/Run will be at 10 a.m. Sunday at Graham Park instead of North Boundary Park.

Money raised will benefit the nonprofit Operation Troop Appreciation, which has a mission of boosting the morale of service members.

The idea for the event stemmed from Ryan Coennen, a 2011 graduate of Seneca Valley High School.

Coennen’s senior project focused on troops returning home with mental and physical injuries, and he decided to create the 5K run for his capstone, according to his mother, Karen Coennen.

Ryan, who is in the aeronautical systems engineering technology program at Kent State University, raised $5,000 the first year of the event, and his mother said the family will continue to hold the event until they can’t do it anymore.

“The money raised for his 5K really helped Operation Troop Appreciation,” Karen Coennen said. “That was truly amazing.”

Operation Troop Appreciation helps service members by providing them with games, clothing and other items while they are deployed, Coennen said.

“We want the troops to know that people care and that is a big part of what we do,” she said.

Karen Coennen, who receives help from her husband, Joe, and moral support from their two other sons, Tim and Chris, said the first 5K run attracted about 130 participants. Last year it had about 235 participants.

Since the run/walk began it has been held at North Boundary Park. But this year it will be held in Graham Park, which will provide a flatter course, she said.

The event also will have a 100- yard dash for children younger than 10 to provide them with something fun to do since not many children can run the 3.1 mile race, Coennen said.

Monica Orluk, president and chief operations officer of Operation Troop Appreciation, said the organization has reached more than 130,000 service members and 98 percent of the proceeds goes to supporting troops.

Orluk said Ryan Coennen has done a stellar job and his efforts have had a significant impact on the organization.

“It is a wonderful way to kick off the season and bring in spring, and help the troops,” Orluk said. “It is a good cause and it is good exercise.”

Orluk said this year Operation Troop Appreciation will extend its services to veterans and not just deployed troops.