2021 Race With Veterans

The Winchester VFW and American Legion are coordinating together to host an event we are calling “Race With Veterans,” to take place August 21, 2021, in Winchester as part of a community all day event. The hope of this is to bring awareness and raise funds to support programs to prevent suicide, which takes the lives of 22 veterans a day on average. Proceeds from the participants, who will choose to either Bike, Run, or Walk, will go 100% toward organizations who raise awareness and combat suicide. Veterans are also taking on the task of ruck marching along the same routes. This task by the veterans will serve as a symbolic gesture of the weight of war carried by veterans into civilian life, while also marching on the same routes “with” the participants, symbolizing that together we can end suicide. Part of our goal from these funds is to establish programs in our local schools to teach students, teachers, and administrators the warning signs of suicide, how to begin the conversation of suicide, and where to go for support to prevent suicide. A portion of the funds raised will also go to the Winchester American Legion building fund. The Legion Hall has long been a place for local veterans to gather in camaraderie, talk about these types of issues, and where support for each other along with organizing of community events takes place.