John Upchurch says the statistics concerning veteran suicide are alarming with an average of 22 veterans taking their own life each and every day.
For that reason, Highland Rim CrossFit is holding a Workout of the Day fundraiser in conjunction with Active Heroes to help reduce veteran suicides.
“We love our military and anything we can do to help support veterans is important to Highland CrossFit,” said Upchurch. “Twenty-two suicides a day is very tragic. There are veterans suffering from depression, struggling to reintegrate to society. Let’s figure out some ways we can get them some help.”
The fundraiser is set for Saturday, April 8. It will be from 9:22 a.m. to 11:22 a.m. with the exact time chosen to represent the number of veterans who end their own lives daily. It will be held at Highland Rim CrossFit at the old Walling Arcade building on N. Spring Street.
This is a kid-friendly fundraiser where fitness levels of all ages can participate. There will be a silent auction to raise additional funds. T-shirts will be available for $15 to commemorate the event. Kelly Slaughter will sing the national anthem and Steve Madison will give the invocation.
“If you only want to come and watch, you don’t have to participate,” said Upchurch. “We will be doing cross fit exercises and we will be doing a non-cross fit workout too. This is about honoring those who have served. We’d like to invite former and active military members to come.”
Active Heroes is a 501(c)3 organization. Upchurch says the organization is impressive because 87 percent of all money it raises goes directly to veteran-related programs. He has a goal of raising $5,000.
“We might only help one person, but that is important,” said Upchurch.