Tag Archives: veterans

Carry The Fallen – Boston Marathon Route

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 Carry The Fallen

Active Heroes, a 501c3 charity presents the Carry The Fallen Ruck-March event. Carry The Fallen is a team hiking event lasting 3, 6, 12 or 22 hours (depending on the event) that is part of the charity’s Active Challenges program that builds camaraderie, wellness, morale and connects military families with supporters and peer mentors. Participants carry weight to symbolize the emotional weight that many veterans are carrying after war.  22 veterans a day take their own lives and Active Heroes is working towards reducing these numbers with a one of a kind Military Family Retreat Center located in Shepherdsville, KY. Carry the Fallen participants can Fund-Raise towards building the retreat center after registering.

Register for free or register to become an Active Heroes Ambassador for $50 and you will be sent a Carry The Fallen shirt, bumper sticker, refrigerator magnet, flyers (donation Cards), and an Ambassador Booklet containing suicide prevention information and peer mentor campaign information. Shipping is included in the $50 donation.

Earn your Carry The Fallen Patch by fundraising $100 or more and completing a 3, 6, 12 or 22 hour long Carry The Fallen Ruck-March event! Carry The Fallen Team Leaders will distribute patches, only to participants who raise $100, during the closing ceremony of the event.  Participants can even make their own donations towards the patch on their fundraising page, or keep sharing their fundraising page on social media, emails and in other conversations to raise the $100 minimum donation amount.

Carry the Fallen 3, 6, 12, 22

Carry The Fallen – Boston Marathon Route
March 21, 2015
6:00am – 7:00pm

Active Heroes – Team Minuteman (All participants) will be rucking the Boston Marathon route starting at 1 Ash St. Hopkinton MA 01748 and finishing at 659 Boylston Street Boston, MA 02116.  There will be on street parking at the starting point.  Transportation back to starting point is up to participants to schedule.  Some people drop cars at the finish line in Boston to help shuttle people back to the beginning.  Please help carpool if you can.  The team will be followed by an RV during the hike to help assist people who drop out during the 26.2 miles. The hike moves as fast as the slowest person.

Carry as much weight that you can carry for the entire march but make sure you don’t over do it for safety. Please wear an Active Heroes or Carry The Fallen shirt to the event to help spread awareness about reducing veteran suicide through Active Heroes. You can find more shirts and gear at: www.ActiveHeroes.org and search for store. Learn more about the Carry The Fallen event at www.CarryTheFallen.org

Safety is very important. Depending on your hiking event the terrain might be on road ways and traffic can be present. Children are allowed to the event but please keep an eye on them for safety. Flashing lights or reflectors belts are encouraged for early morning hiking or night time events. bring plenty of water, sports drinks with no excess sodium, first aide kit and energy snacks. Bathroom breaks are generally planned but keep in mind that Team Leaders are working to keep everyone together to accomplish the long distance event, so stops wont be frequent unless of medical emergencies.

Above all, the Carry the Fallen events are extremely fun and the entire family can join. Your help is needed to build the retreat to help reduce Veteran Suicide. Learn More About the Military Family Retreat here: www.ActiveHeroes.org

March Proclaimed Red Cross Month: Red Cross Recognizes Every Day Heroes

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President Barack Obama has proclaimed March as Red Cross Month across the country, a tradition upheld by each of our nation’s leaders since President Franklin D. Roosevelt first recognized Red Cross Month in 1943.

“For more than 130 years, the devoted women and men of the American Red Cross have responded to challenges at home and abroad with compassion and generosity. In times of conflict and great tragedy, they deliver humanitarian relief, save lives, and offer hope for a brighter tomorrow,” the proclamation reads. “Their service has meant so much to so many, and it reflects a fundamental American truth: we look out for one another and we do not leave anyone behind. This month, we renew our sense of common purpose and honor all those whose sacrifices have made our society more prepared, resilient, and united.” Read the entire proclamation here.

The Red Cross has a long-standing relationship with the White House dating back to 1913 and President Woodrow Wilson. In 1906 a largely ceremonial office of president was added to the Red Cross leadership. In 1913, President Wilson agreed to serve in this role. This began a tradition that continues today whereby the president of the United States serves as honorary chairman of the American Red Cross. The Red Cross is not a government agency and does not receive a regular appropriation from Congress.

The American Red Cross responds to nearly 70,000 disasters every year. It provides 24-hour support to members of the military, veterans and their families at home and around the world; collects and distributes about 40 percent of the nation’s blood supply and trains millions of people in first aid, water safety and other life-saving skills.

During Red Cross Month, the American Red Cross is recognizing the country’s everyday heroes – heroes who reach out to help people in need. These are the people who –

  • Help disaster victims get on the road to recovery.
  • Give blood to help a hospital patient
  • Brighten the day of an injured service member who is in a hospital far from home.
  • Take one of our lifesaving classes and step forward to assist someone having a heart attack or to save a drowning child.

Red Cross Month is a great time to become part of the Red Cross. You can work on a preparedness plan with members of your household so you are ready for emergencies. You can become a Red Cross volunteer. Or you can give blood or a financial donation.

VA Adaptive Sports Program

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Mission Redefined
Your courage, your determination and your drive all led you to serve America proudly. Those same characteristics will also lead to satisfaction and success in adaptive sports. Disabled Veterans of all ages and abilities report better health, new friendships and a better quality of life when participating in adaptive sports. Disabled Veterans who are physically active simply have more fun! To get started, take some time to review the many sports opportunities available to you by reaching out to your VA clinical team.

Get started by learning how disabled Veterans can benefit from adaptive sports. If you have questions, contact them at vacoadaptiveSP@va.gov.

2015 Schedule of National Events
2014 Annual Report to Congress

The Grant Program
The Grants for Adaptive Sports Programs for disabled Veterans and Members of the Armed Forces (ASG Program) provides grant funding to organizations to increase and expand the quantity and quality of adaptive sport activities disabled Veterans and members of the Armed Forces have to participate in physical activity within their home communities, as well as more advanced Paralympic and adaptive sport programs at the regional and national levels. Learn more»

Training Allowance
Interested in becoming a Paralympic athlete?
The VA National Veterans Sports Programs & Special Events Office provides a monthly assistance allowance for disabled Veterans as authorized by 38 U.S.C. 322(d) and Section 703 of the Veterans’ Benefits Improvement Act of 2008 for qualifying athletes training in Paralympic sports.

Through the program, VA will pay a monthly allowance to a Veteran with either a service-connected or non-service-connected disability if the Veteran meets the minimum military standards or higher (e.g., Emerging, Talent Pool, National Team) in his or her respective sport at a recognized competition. Besides making the military standard, an athlete must also be nationally or internationally classified by his or her respective sport federation as eligible for Paralympic competition within six or 12 months of a qualifying performance.

Athletes must also have established training and competition plans and are responsible for turning in monthly and quarterly reports in order to continue receiving the monthly assistance allowance. The allowance rate for an athlete approved for monetary assistance is the same as the 38 U.S.C. Chapter 31 Vocational Rehabilitation & Employment (VR&E) rate, which in FY 2013 ranged from $585.11 up to $1,104.64 per month, depending on the number of dependents.

Download the VA Training Allowance Standards

Download the VA Training Allowance Briefing

To learn more about the specific sport standards or the monthly assistance allowance, email them at vacoadaptiveSP@va.gov.