Page 2 - MARCH2024

Page 2
Community
22 FOR THE 22
continued from page
moving.
Hyder began getting himself
out of the house and going on walks. He began rucking, which involves walking or marching over varying distances with a weighted backpack, also known as a ruck- sack or simply a "ruck.” Scott said the backpack he carries signifies the trauma he carries from the past.
Once he began rucking, Scott decided to post about it on social media to see if anyone was inter- ested in joining him, and before he knew it, people started show- ing up. Once that began, Scott and others wanted to think of ways to promote mental health awareness among veterans. They started hanging out at nursing homes with veterans, which was an overall positive experience for Scott and everyone involved. But once COVID-19 hit, they had to get creative.
In November 2020, the “22 For The 22” was born when Scott thought of the idea of a 22-mile ruck, walk, or run around the lake. With about 89 people reg-
NEWFOUNDLAKELIFE.COM
March 2024
istering to participate, eighteen finished. With the team coming together to do an after-action review, they concluded that the weather plays a huge factor, and the weather for the first event was filled with cold winds and snow, so the decision was made to move it to May 22nd.
The second 22 For The 22 event was held on May 22nd, and 275 people registered, with about 80 people finishing. Once the group came back together for their after-action review, they de-
cided the trek might be too long, so they implemented the 5k, 10k, and chase vehicles if needed.
The event truly brings people from all walks of life together. Hyder said that “just showing up is wonderful.” The event gets like-minded people to engage and create a community that can be beneficial for people who have lost someone to suicide. As the event continued, more and more community involvement happened and Hyder was blown away. “The third event started on
the Hebron Town Common and people came, brought chairs, there was a live music act, and hamburgers and hot dogs.”
Scott states that this is an event “that everyone can do.” It has grown over the years with vol- unteers helping and just with the community being so supportive. “It’s the journey,” Hyder said. “It’s not a timed race. We just want people to come out and we want to raise awareness.” With this being the fourth year, and the fifth event, the Newfound
Community has gone to great heights to come out and support the message that 22 For The 22 conveys. “The community in- volvement is incredible,” Hyder boasted. “Every day, our commu- nity grows bigger, and for people to see what we’re doing, and take away from it, is amazing.” Hyder also counted that people of the Newfound Community are just curious about the whole thing. “They’ll come out, and ask what’s going on, and they want to get in- volved.”
The biggest message of the 22 For The 22 is to let people know they are not alone in this. This event is helping people get out into the community, meet people, and introduce them to the subcul- ture of mental health in veterans.
The 22 For The 22 is always looking for volunteers, so if you are interested in participating, you can email info@hiddenbat- tlesfoundations.org. The walk is open to any age or skill level, and you can choose between the 5k, 10k, and 22k, and choose to walk, ruck, or run. $25 registration tick- ets will include a free lunch and funding for mental health pro- grams.