NL VFW Post 9545 Warriors Walk A Huge Success. Thanks To You!

Our WARRIORS WALK was a huge success thanks to so many. What started out as a 20 mile “Ruck March” by one Veteran, Ryan Brazel in November of 2019, turned into a very successful fundraiser for the HEADSTRONG PROJECT in 2020. An average of 20 Veterans commit suicide every day, and Headstrong helps to provide “Free” counseling to Veterans in need. WE wanted to help!

Ryan approached NL VFW Post 9545 in September of 2019 to inform us of his march on 2 November 2019. He is a 19 year Navy Veteran/Reservist that has served 5 trips to the Middle East, and wanted to bring awareness to the suicide rate among active duty military and veterans.

Ryan was recruited to join Post 9545 after his march, and at that meeting spoke about the program. Past Post Commander and Vietnam Combat Veteran John Forsythe struck up a conversation with Ryan, and the “Inaugural Warriors Walk for 2020” was born. The initial fundraising goal was $2000, and that was far surpassed.

NL VFW Post 9545 sponsored the event with insurance and necessary permits from Will County and the Village of New Lenox.

John and Ryan started meeting with local businesses in June looking for advertising sponsors and donations of refreshments to serve after the Walk, and water for the water stations along the 10 mile and 20 mile route. The outpouring was tremendous.

Pizza Mia and Malloy State Farm Insurance donated 30 pizzas for after the Walk refreshments and bought Advertising signs. Berkot’s Super Foods, New Lenox supplied 50 cases of water for the water stations along with advertising signs and Good Time DJ provided entertainment at VFW Post 9545 after the Walk.

September 19th was weather perfect for the Walk. New Lenox Mayor Tim Balderman along with New Lenox VFW Post 9545 Commander Tim Terrell spoke to the 75 Walkers at the 8am start.

75 Walkers, 25 volunteers including VFW Post 9545 members and Auxiliary Members, New Lenox Firefighters, New Lenox Police Department and Emergency Services. Boy and Girl Scout Troops 49 and 492 respectively joined in to distribute water at the 9 stations along the 10 and 20 mile routes. What a great effort by all to make this Inaugural Warriors Walk successful. After the Walk, everyone was invited back to Post 9545, for food, refreshments and entertainment.

Thanks to the efforts of EVERYONE involved, we were able to raise over $14,000.00 to donate to the “Headstrong Project”. A special thanks to Ryan Brazel and John Forsythe for heading up this project and all of their hard work organizing it.

Tremendous thank you to all of our sponsors:

Harry E. Anderson VFW Post 9545, New Lenox

Pizza Mia, New Lenox

Kevin Malloy State Farm insurance, New Lenox

Berkot’s Super Foods, New Lenox

Kurtz Memorial Chapel, New Lenox

CP Meat Market, New Lenox

Bruns and Bruns Accounting and Investments, New Lenox

Whitmore Ace Hardware, New Lenox

Lori Lindberg American Homes and Investments

Anytime Fitness, New Lenox

Good Time DJ, New Lenox

Forsythe Gould Funeral Home, Manhattan