December 11th, 2021
Our organization is so often humbled by the support we receive from others. This was especially true for the 1st Annual “Salute to Our Military” Cornhole Tournament at the Clay County Fairgrounds in Green Cove Springs, FL. Organized and hosted by the Rotary Club of Northeast Florida, The Long Walk Home raised $7,000 to support Veterans and their families. We are eternally grateful to the Rotary Club for the hard work they put into making this event enjoyable for all of those who attended.
Ron Zaleksi, Marine Veteran and founder of The Long Walk Home, kicked off the event with a short speech. “I’m honored to work with the Rotary Club [of Northeast Florida], and thankful for everybody that came out to participate,” said Ron. This was followed by a beautiful performance of the National Anthem by Stephen Quinn, a Nashville Recording Artist and top 50 contestant on Season One of American Idol. Over 20 teams of two participated, coming from all over the state of Florida. The competition was fierce, yet friendly. Also in attendance were dozens of vendors from around the state, providing plenty of food and entertainment when the bags weren’t being tossed.
The money that was raised for this tournament will go directly toward supporting our two flagship programs: ASIST Workshops and our Mentorship Program. ASIST (Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training) is a proven method to educate indiviudals on the subject of suicide and the handling of situations in which suicide may be a potential concern. Taught by experienced Military Chaplains, ASIST is a excellent way for us to help create a suicide-safer community. The Mentorship Program serves a similar purpose, but focuses more on providing a personalized, one-on-one educational experience. Mentees are paired with one of our ASIST-trained Mentors and guided along a series of 10 personal challenges. These challenges address many of the obstacles that Veterans may face in the transition from military to civilian life, such as establishing goals, nurturing relationships, and developing healthier habits. The Mentorship Program can be thought of as a post-military boot camp.
We have found that it is important to extend all of these services to family members and friends as well. Most people living in the United States know at least one Veteran, so educating the greater public is a way for The Long Walk Home to broaden the impact of its programs and services. At the end of the day, if we can help save just one life, then we’re making progress towards our goal. That goal, ultimately, is to reduce the number of Veterans who are lost to suicide every day. Depending on the source of data, this number ranges from 18 to 22 Veterans a day. To us, any number that isn’t zero is unacceptable.
From the bottom of our hearts, we thank the Rotary Club of Northeast Florida for their commitment to our cause. We are also thankful for the individual sponsors and donors who put skin in the game and gave back to the Veteran community. Without their generosity our campaign to inspire, educate, and empower Veterans would not be possible.
