Page 4 - NOV2025

Page 4
Community
CAMP RESILIENCE
continued from page 1
and Massachusetts.
Camp Resilience is a 501(c) (3)
charity whose mission is to help at-risk service members, veterans, first responders, and their fami- lies “bounce back and improve in mind, body, and spirit.” Through the beauty of the New Hampshire outdoors, the organization utilizes outdoor experiential activities, life skills classes and peer-to-peer counseling to help hundreds of men and women in the state de- velop resilience and well-being while also encouraging them to become a positive asset in their communities throughout New England.
An average of 22 veterans and first responders die by sui- cide every day, and Jeff wanted to bring greater awareness to that heartbreaking data. So on Oct. 1, he set out from the Canadian border to run the length of the state, averaging 22 miles per day in their honor (sometimes more), where he could meet people and shine a light on this crisis, as well as Camp Resilience’s mission to combat the issue.
NEWFOUNDLAKELIFE.COM
November 2025
Jeff Ladieu and his wife, Kim (kneeling), were joined by N.H. State Trooper Al Esty, members of both Bridgewater and New Hampston fire departments, and local friends from the Gickas Family and Ladd Farm in Bridgewater, as he reached Mile 145.4 Oct. 5th.
house with something for me to drink. It was so nice of them and the kids. I couldn’t believe it,” said Jeff.
At approximately 1 p.m. that day, he reached Mile 145.4 on River Road in Bridgewater, sig- nalling an end to his run that day. Waiting there for him at Kathy Gickas’ home were she and her father, members of the New Hampton Fire Department, as well as his friends Jon Ladd and some of the workers/volunteers from Ladd Farm, where they all first got to know Jeff. Also accom- panying him to that mile marker were N.H. State Trooper Al Esty of Troop F and members of the Bridgewater Fire Brigade.
“That Mile 145.4 sign was great to see,” Jeff said after he caught his breath. “This means I’m just about halfway now.”
Gickas then invited everyone to relax on her shady lawn to have pizza and hear more about Jeff’s travels. That evening, the group gathered at the Italian Farmhouse for dinner, where owner Alex Ray and his staff generously donated 20 percent of their sales that night to Camp Resilience. From there,
Jon Ladd invited Jeff back to his 192-acre farm in Bridgewater, where he could rest up before heading off the next morning on his next leg of the journey.
Other stops along the way included the Easterseals N.H. Military and Veterans Campus in Franklin, meet-ups with other local police and fire departments, and visits with many supporters in each town.
Jeff’s Run for Resilience con- cluded on Oct. 10 when he reached Nashua, where a large crowd cheered for his arrival. While many people had joined him to run a few miles along the way, it was Gov. Kelly Ayotte who kept in step with him for the final two miles to the Massachusetts border, an honor he had greatly looked forward to over the 10-day journey.
To make a donation or sim- ply learn more about Camp Re- silience, visit their website, www. camp-resilience.org. People can also view many photos of Jeff’s Run for Resilience from Canada to Massachusetts on their Face- book page.
By the morning of Oct. 5th, he had made his way to the central part of the state, amazed by the reception and kindness he had already experienced. His wife, Kim, and a daily New Hamp- shire State Police escort had been driving slowly along the way with him. Kim said that as he first set out through Pittsburg he was met by cheers from all the students in town who had gathered along the road to wish him well.
“Then, when he got to Cole- brook, the whole town was out there with signs, cheering and clapping for him. It was amazing,” she said.
Once in Erroll, a man in a
truck spotted him and pulled over. When he got out of his truck, he carried an American flag and stood with it at Parade Rest as Jeff approached. It was a heartwarm- ing moment that he said he won’t soon forget.
Sentiments such as that con- tinued as people waited along the northern route for him. When Jeff trotted into Plymouth on Oct. 5th, he was amazed again when he saw the Flying Monkey The- ater had words of encouragement for him on their marquee and on a sign in front of the Italian Farm- house on Rte. 3.
“There was even a family with little kids out in front of their
The