Veteran Suicide Awareness Events Scheduled In FDL

In order to raise awareness of the roughly 22 suicides committed by veterans every day, Moraine Park Technical College and Marian University have teamed up with Salute the Troops Inc. to sponsor back-to-back events.

The first event, hosted by Moraine Park’s counselors at the College’s Fond du La campus, will take place on Friday, April 21, at 5 p.m. with a showing of the documentary Project 22. Free pizza and beverages will also be provided by Moraine Park’s Student Veteran Association (SVA).

Project 22 is a non-profit documentary following two veterans on a 6,500-mile motorcycle ride across the country to raise awareness of the high number of veteran suicides.

This film is comprised of real conversations with warriors, providers and researchers, and contains no combat footage. This film is for veterans, families, veteran advocates, and anyone who has dealt with trauma, loss, or depression. Run time is approximately 1 hour, 42 minutes.

The next event is the following day, Saturday, April 22, as Marian University hosts a 2.2-mile “ruck march and walk” around its Fond du Lac campus. Following the march/walk, the University is offering lunch, tours of the Office of Veteran Services and an opportunity for veterans and the public to meet with area veteran resource providers.

Registration begins at 9 a.m. in the Stayer Center parking lot, located at the corner of National Avenue and 2nd Street, and the walk starts promptly at 10 a.m.

This event is also intended to raise awareness of the veteran suicide rate and form a strong community around  veterans. Rucksack or backpack are not required to participate, but everyone who attends is encouraged to honor a service member by carrying a photo of them during the walk. The first 100 individuals who register and take part in the event will receive a free “22 No More” t-shirt provided by the Moraine Park’s Student Life Coordinator and Marian University’s Student Veteran’s Organization.

Both events are free, but donations are encouraged, with funds going to support Salute the Troops and the Student Veteran Organizations of both colleges. To pre-register for either event, go to Eventbrite.com and search for the Veteran Suicide Awareness March/Walk in the Fond du Lac area. 

For more information on these two events, contact Steve Pepper, Student Veteran Specialist for Moraine Park Technical College, at 920-924-3489 or Maranda Abitz, Coordinator of Veteran Services at Marian University, at 920-923-8641.