American Legion Post 63 returns with sixth annual Challenge 22 Walk and Picnic

Twenty-two veterans commit suicide because of post-traumatic stress every day. 

Twenty-two people who dedicated their lives to serving their country decide to take their own life every day. 

Twenty-two people. Grandfathers, fathers, mothers, daughters, sons, spouses and friends.

When Kurt Gies, commander of Winter Garden’s American Legion Post 63, heard the statistic, he didn’t believe it. 

“Challenge 22 started after I received a message in 2016 that said, ‘We have 22 veterans a day committing suicide and to get a group of people together and go for a walk to raise some awareness,’” Gies said. “I’m not sure who sent it to me. … But as the post chaplain and a retired Navy officer, I felt it was important to investigate to see if it was even true. Once I confirmed that the statistic was true, I went out and walked by myself on the West Orange Trail. I didn’t have time nor the relationships to get a group to go. (But I vowed) that the next year, I would not walk alone.”

WHY CHALLENGE 22

The Challenge 22 Walk and Picnic is returning for its sixth year Saturday, Nov. 12. 

The event, hosted by the American Legion Post 63, aims to raise money and awareness to help eliminate veteran suicide because of PTS.

Community advocate Austin Arthur said when he learned about Challenge 22 in West Orange and the incredible success they have had with helping veterans, he knew he had to become active with the organization.

“It seems everyone cares about our soldiers, but all too often, we forget that when the war is over and they come home, their struggles often continue,” Arthur said. “They sometimes incorrectly blame themselves for things that went wrong or the horrors they witnessed. I am very proud to serve on the Challenge 22 committee, because I am grateful for our veterans, I am grateful for the liberties which they secured for us. They served us and now we need to serve them.”

This year, the American Legion is aiming to raise $100,000. 

Lana Gies, Challenge 22 volunteer and daughter of an American soldier, said raising money is essential, because the programs and tools that help veterans cost money they don’t usually have. In addition, Veterans Affairs is limited in how many veterans it can serve and in what capacities it can help. 

“The bottom line is we need to be able to raise enough money to send our own heroes to wherever they need to go to get the help they need,” Lana Gies said. “Whether it’s as complex as a full year of intensive physical, spiritual and emotional therapies, or as specific as just needing a custom wheelchair built to give them enough relief and empowerment to want to face each day, it shouldn’t have to be another burden on the ones who have already given so much for the U.S. It’s as simple as the more we raise, the more we help.”

Some of the handful of costs commonly incurred for veterans that VA may not cover include: $25,000 for one service dog or for one custom wheelchair; $3,500 for equine therapy; $10,000 for resiliency clinics, a family healing retreat or a USA amputee travel ball; and $15,000 for one year of whole therapy. 

“As veterans it’s difficult, because those who are wired to serve typically are very uncomfortable being served,” Kurt Gies said. “That is why I believe many vets won’t even ask for help but allow the enemy to isolate them and thereby make them believe they’re a burden. By having resources available that have been proven time and again to be successful, we are able to entice those who need help to actually walk through the door to see if maybe they could become a success story as well. When they do, the story grows bigger and bigger.”

In the past, Challenge 22 has had the following impacts: trained 25 service dogs, five veterans certified in PTS therapy, 600 essential oils distributed, 1,200 COVID-19 care kits distributed, 10 new nonprofit relationships formed, 120 military family retreats and 125 podcasts aired about PTS.

Three thousand veterans with PTS have had their symptoms cleared.

“This year, we are actively trying to get the business community involved,” Lana Gies said. “It’s one thing to have family and friends walking, but to see the business community rallying around our heroes in itself is enough to save a life.”

EVENT PREVIEW

This year’s event will kick off at Crooked Can with a traditional military ceremony, presentation of the colors, a flag-folding ceremony, musical tributes to the armed forces and more. 

Guest speaker Peter O’Rourke, former U.S. Secretary of VA and VA Chief of Staff, will share words and the Patriot Guard Riders will be displaying the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall and Global War on Terror Memorial Wall.

The 2.2-mile walk will run from Crooked Can along Plant Street, while the ride route will run 41.09 miles from Crooked Can, through Oakland and around Lake Minneola.

After the walk, the festivities will continue with a family picnic day at the park.

“Though this event is about suicide prevention, it’s also going to be a lot of fun,” Kurt Gies said. “We take the day to honor veterans and go to the community.” 

The picnic portion will include beer and food vendors, birthday celebrations of two special guest WW2 veterans, live entertainment, a ninja course, silent auction, service provider booths and marketplace vendor booths for the community.

In addition, Anna Fabry, fiancee of U.S. Army 1st Lt. Evan Fitzgibbon, the West Point graduate and Foundation Academy alum who died early this year in a training incident, will be presented with the memorial flag. The flag is presented to a member of the community who has experienced a circumstance in need of closure. 

Challenge 22 will include community partners who are dedicated to providing a wide variety of services to active and retired military and first responders. Professional services and help available include: PTS counseling, medical assistance, housing and employment assistance, K-9 partner assistance, spouse and family support, networking and companionship, mentoring and training, and special retreats.

The money raised will be distributed to organizations that provide help and hope to veterans such as Project: VetRelief and SOF Missions. 

RUCK WALK

The concept for Challenge 22 evolved shortly after Kurt Gies first heard of the statistic.

Kurt Gies said after spending 25 years in the Navy, he was looking for something to re-energize him during the 10-year period between retirement and the first Challenge 22.

“My purpose in life is only fulfilled by ‘service to our country and my community,’” he said. “I was very heavily involved in coaching youth sports at the high school, middle school and elementary levels, but I needed something more. By committing to doing the best job we possibly can to represent this cause, while honoring those who have passed due to their struggles with PTS, I found that the ‘personal reward’ I get from seeing those who are in need ‘turning the corner’ to being a success story, is more than I ever expect in return.”

Shortly after, he met a young  U.S. Marine named Ashley Moir, who was doing a veteran-only Ruck Walk which involved 22 people walking 22 kilometers — 14 miles — with a 22-kilogram rucksack on their back, 50 pounds. 

Although the pair realized everyone in the community may not have the ability to walk 14 miles or carry a 50 pound rucksack, they knew there had to be a way to come up with a modified event. 

The first 2.2-mile Ruck Walk took place in 2017, with about 150 people walking. In 2018, the event hosted 400, and by 2019, the walk yielded just under 1,000 participants. 

Although numbers in 2020 and 2021 were affected because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Kurt Gies said the organization is hoping to break records and have more than 1,000 walkers this year. 

The organization has worked with more than 8,000 at-risk veterans and first responders over the past five years with the money raised, without a single one of them taking their lives.

Although impressive, Kurt Gies said 8,000 is just scratching the surface to those who need help. 

“My hopes are that Winter Garden can lead the way for the rest of the country in doing these kinds of events for our veterans,” he said. “There’s nothing more powerful that we can do as human beings than saving another’s life. Therefore, we cannot stop.”