The Warriors Walk is a collaboration of multiple VFWs, American Legions, businesses, and schools in the Chicago area that have come together to support the mission to end veteran suicide. The Warriors Walk was incepted by our Founder Ryan Brazel in 2019 and has been directly supported by the Harry E Anderson VFW Post #9545. In its success, the Warriors Walk is growing at an exponential rate and is in the process of becoming an independent Not-For-Profit Corporation with a 501(c)(3) tax exempt status in Illinois. The Thomas E. Hartung American Legion Post #1977 has made the leap from a lead supporter to a managing partner for the Warriors Walk as we grow into our own entity. It will take an Army, but together we can work towards ending Veteran suicide.
The Walk is a free event which is a ruck march to help raise awareness for Veteran suicide prevention. A ruck march (walk) is a military term summed up as “a walk with a backpack”. The Warriors Walk provides the options of The Memorial Mile (1 mi), 5k (3.1mi), 5 mile, 10mile, or a 20 mile walk which starts at 9:00am on the second Saturday of every September in the New Lenox village commons (1 Veterans Parkway, New Lenox IL). Each participant has the option to choose how far they would like to walk. The march heads east along Will County Forest Preserve’s Old Plank Road Trail towards Frankfort IL. The halfway point for each preselected distance will be marked along the trail for the turn-around and the marchers will finish back at the commons. Below is the link for Will County’s interactive map of Old Plank Road Trail.
All proceeds raised by The Warriors Walk through the means of fundraising, events, sponsorship, and partnerships goes directly to The Headstrong Project. Headstrong Project is a non-profit mental health organization providing confidential, barrier-free, and stigma-free PTSD treatment to our Veterans, Service Members, and family connected to their care. Headstrong’s trauma treatment program provides 30 cost-free sessions. For extended therapy, sessions include a client copay made to the therapist.Headstrong is committed to providing uninterrupted access to their mental healthcare services across all of their program markets. Having a critical mass of world-class clinical partners in each state, many of whom use telehealth, allows Headstrong to maximize access with availability while maintaining good therapist-client fit.
Roughly every ninety minutes, a Veteran commits suicide. That equals a staggering 22 Veterans a day. In one year, more Veterans commit suicide then the total number killed in action during the Iraq and Afghanistan wars combined. Veteran suicide has long plagued the United States in its war on terror. It is estimated that in ten years of the US measuring suicide rates, the rates are comparable to those killed in action of the Vietnam War. The number of Veterans that returned with TBI (Traumatic Brain Injury), PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder), and other untreated diagnoses is too much for the service member to bear alone; they need help.
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Read as The Headstrong Project highlights our Founder, Ryan Brazel’s, journey to creating one of the most impactful organizatons that has partnered with The Headstrong Project