Did you know…? The Department of Veterans Affairs estimates that there are 52,000 Veterans living in Rensselaer County and the surrounding five counties. Members of the military, from World War II to the War on Terror, experience a myriad of challenges, including Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, Traumatic Brain Injury, substance abuse and mental health problems and problems associated with reintegration, such as finding employment and stable housing.
Heroes at Home, a Rensselaer County peer support program, has scheduled a Ruck March (army style march with backpack) on September 20 to help raise awareness of the challenges that military personnel experience.
No One Marches Alone! is the slogan for this inaugural Patriot Ruck March, a 26.4 mile march that will go from Poestenkill to Grafton and back again. Prizes will be given for top marchers in male and female carrier categories, with 35 pound ruck or no ruck.
If you or anyone you know would be interested in marching, or if you would like to sponsor someone who is marching, make a donation or assist on September 20, contact John Holmes at 518-545-6781 or stop in at the Hoosick Falls American Legion on Tuesdays from 2 to 8 pm or on Fridays from 12 to 5 pm, and he can sign you up, get you a sponsor packet, plug you in to help and answer any questions you might have. Donations will go directly to projects that help prevent veteran suicide and conduct veterans’ outreach in Rensselaer County.
Heroes at Home is one of eleven NYS funded PFC Joseph Dwyer Peer to Peer Programs. They provide peer support to anyone who has served in the military, as well as their families, regardless of discharge status, era in which they served or combat experience. Since 2012, we have partnered with the VA, the VFW and American Legion and community providers to ensure that Veterans have access to services, and to provide support as they navigate the reintegration process.
Details of the march are being finalized so watch the newspapers for more information, and if you can’t march, then come on out and cheer on those who are!