Active Heroes, a 501c3 National charity is hosting the Carry The Fallen event across America including Haddonfield to help reduce veteran suicide. The Carry the Fallen event is a team ruck march event where participants can choose between three, six, 12 or 22 hour long trails to set their own difficulty. The event builds camaraderie while participants can raise funds to help build regional military family retreat centers, the first of which is located in Shepherdsville, Ky.
The Philadelphia/South Jersey Carry The Fallen event will take place on Sept. 6 at 7 a.m. The starting point will be at Haddon Fire Company, 15 N. Haddon Ave. located in Haddonfield and follow a trail or road for several hours. Participants are encouraged to arrive at the starting point by 6:30 a.m. so that Opening Ceremonies can commence promptly at 6:45 a.m. The Carry The Fallen event will end at Haddon Fire Company as well. Participants will earn a military patch for completing the course once they have raised $100 for Active Heroes.
Twenty-two veterans a day commit suicide due to many triggering points including post traumatic stress and substance abuse. Active Heroes is working to reduce veteran suicide with team events like the Carry the Fallen. The ruck march event has already had thousands of veterans, military families and military supporters participate who have been impacted greatly.
“When a veteran or military family member is struggling mentally, Active Heroes has a dozen of our team members wrap their arms around the individual,” said founder of Active Heroes, Troy Yocum. “The Carry The Fallen event is growing and becoming a National movement to raise awareness about veterans suicide. Team aren’t just doing something small with these hikes, donations are building a first of a kind retreat center that will be an ultimate place of healing for veterans that will last for generations.”
The Carry The Fallen event started in 2012 as a small hike that initially raised $17,000 for Active Heroes. Now in 2014, the event has raised over $300,000 for Active Heroes for the military family retreat center. Donations have been used to purchase 144 acres in Shepherdsville, Ky, equipment for the retreat including a tractor, front loader, bush-hog, four lawn mowers, landscaping, statues and camping supplies. In April of 2014, Active Heroes welcomed the first ever group of veterans and families with the Kentucky National Guard Resiliency training. Future goals at the first retreat location include cabins, welcome center and activities for all families members. Future goals for Active Heroes is to build retreat centers in several states across America to impact greater numbers of struggling military families.
“The event being held on Sept. 6is very symbolic because of the close timeframe to 9/11. 9/11 changed our nation and the world,” said Brian Poliafico, Team Leader for the Philadelphia/South Jersey Team and Lieutenant with the Haddon Fire Company. “As a first responder, we remember the 343 FDNY firefighters that were lost, the numerous civilians in the Twin Towers that day, and the men and women who were deployed. By coordinating and participating in this event, we want to try and help our veterans acclimate back into society with their families. This event supports all of our veterans and we want them to know someone is only a phone call away.”
For more information on Active Heroes and to donate, visit www.activeheroes.org. For more information about the Carry The Fallen event visit: www.CarryTheFallen.org
