NL VFW Post 9545, 3rd Annual Warriors Walkers March

This Ruck March is to help raise awareness, of the 22 veterans who commit suicide every day. In one year, we have lost more veterans to suicide than we have lost in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars combined. The number of soldiers, sailors, marines, and airmen coming home with TBIs, PTSD, etc. is too much for these men and women. We are still losing good men from the Vietnam Era as well.
Post 9545 Member Ryan Brazel Championed this cause in 2020 along with Past Commander John Forsythe for the Inaugural Walk. The success was tremendous with the initial March raising $15,000.00 for Project Headstrong. All net donations received at the Inaugural March went to Headstrong. Our 2nd Annual Walk in 2021 raised $11,599.00 Ryan is again leading this Walk in 2022, and with your help, hopes to raise $20,000.00 this year for this great cause
The Headstrong Project (Getheadstrong.org) is a non for profit organization getting these veterans' mental health at no cost to the Veteran or their families. The Headstrong Project is recognized by the VA (Veterans Affairs) which means all notes and diagnoses made by mental health professionals are transferred to the VA for the Veteran’s benefits. This in turn relieves the pressure on the VA which is overwhelmed, understaffed, and underfunded.
Our goal this year is to surpass the $11,599.00 we raised last year and raise $20,000.00 for this great cause.
FAQ:

WHAT IS A RUCK MARCH: A ruck march is a military term summed up as a walk with a backpack.
DO I HAVE TO RUCK/HOW HEAVY SHOULD MY RUCK BE: We ask that you do what is best for you. If you choose to Ruck, carry what you know you’ll be able to carry safely.If you choose to just walk with us, please walk what you can. No distance is too small. If you wish to just come to the Commons to support, you can walk around the beautiful New Lenox Commons. Whatever you decide to do, PLEASE do not overload yourself to where you may get injured.
DAY OF:The march shall take place, rain or shine, at the New Lenox IL commons. The route will go along Old Plank Road Trail, which is a walk, run, and bike path. Please be respectful to others on the course.
A signup sheet will be available for you to sign in.
Refreshment stations shall be posted along the designated path.PARKING is in the works.After the ruck, all are welcomed back to the Harry E. Anderson VFW Post 9545 at:323 Old Hickory Rd New Lenox Il 60451No fee to participate.DONATIONS: If you decide that you would like just to donate to help our cause, you can do so as listed below. MAKE ALL CHECKS AND MONEY ORDERS PAYABLE TO VFW POST 9545 with a memo of Warriors Walk. If you wish to pay online, please use the QR code towards the VFW PayPal account with a memo of Warrior walk and your name.
Disclaimer: ALL FUNDS RAISED shall be donated to the Headstrong Project by Post 9545. No expenses will come out of raised funds. NL VFW Post 9545 is the sole sponsor of this Ruck March and would like to thank all businesses that donate goods, or services. This includes The Village of New Lenox, New Lenox Police Department, New Lenox Fire District, and New Lenox Emergency Services.

Visit our Facebook Page: www.facebook.com/vfwpost9545

0800-0900 check-in0900 VFW Post Commander speech0911 moment of silence0915 20-mile marchers step off0930 10-mile and below marchers step off
THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT!