Floridians Raise Veteran Suicide Awareness At 20-Mile WI Hike

GREEN BAY, WI — Combat boots with a picture of a service member who committed suicide were placed on tables honoring them inside the KI Convention Center in Green Bay, Wisconsin, on Saturday. A nonprofit based in Clearwater, Florida, organized the 20-mile ninth annual Ruck March in Wisconsin to raise awareness about veteran suicide.

On average, 17.2 veterans commit suicide each day, according to the 2021 National Suicide VA report. A slight decrease from the 2012 Veterans Administration report of 22 per day.

About 500 people showed up for the in-person march with a message telling active duty military members and veterans that it’s OK to ask for help when depression, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, sexual assault trauma, and anxiety, begin to take over your well-being. A Patch reporter heard multiple veterans, active duty and families who lost service members to suicide say, “It’s not a sign of weakness to get help; it’s a sign of strength,” throughout the event.

H.O.O.A.H. (Helping Out Our American Heroes), a national, non-profit organization staffed with volunteers headquartered in Florida, hosts this march every year.

Tammy Hardwick, state chapter president of Wisconsin, said, “For me, this particular event encompasses the whole H.O.O.A.H. mission. So with our boot tributes that kind of sums this all up. We were one of the first charities in Wisconsin to really start that conversation about veteran suicide. It’s an uncomfortable conversation — to normalize this kind of conversation, to build these bonds and get veterans connected to these programs and resources is not just a one time event — but look what else we have to offer you. We’re here for the long-haul for them.”

Before the march kicked off, participants gathered inside the center where vendors who offer different styles of mental health counseling were set up. Some of the programs were outside the box of psychology sessions and included art, fitness, hiking, motorcycle riding and more.

Veterans Alternative, another option for therapy, based out of Tampa Bay, also has a chapter in Wisconsin. H.O.O.A.H.'s founder, Bob Sebastian, participated in the march virtually from Naples, as did about 200 walkers from different parts of the country.

Barb Lu Maye lost her Marine son, Jacob Lu Maye, six years ago. “While he was serving in the military, things got a little tough for him,” she told a Patch reporter through tears. “He was going through a lot of difficult situations that became overwhelming to him.”

Jacob also had a newborn son. “He made the decision to take his own life. He was 21-years-old…I think he just felt like there was no way to get through what he was going through. This group, H.O.O.A.H., one of their main missions it to let you know that there are people who will help you get through it. There are so many people that are there for you, and are going to miss you if you’re gone. Ask for the help, get the help.”

Lu Maye has been taking part in the walk every year since three years following his death with her six-year-old grandson, Matthew Lu Maye. He lost his dad at four and a half months old. He knows his father served as a Marine, and has a photo of him in uniform clipped to the rear of his backpack as he walks with his grandmother who also has it pinned on hers. He comforted Lu Maye back at the center as she got emotional looking at a boot that had a picture of him holding Matthew as a baby.

“We're marching for my dad,” Matthew said along the walk. bundled up in a beanie and coat. He said he felt proud of himself for walking 10 out of the 20 miles during Saturday’s march.

“Every day is a struggle without him,” Lu Maye said. “I miss him every day. … Jacob was a jokester. He was the type of person who loved helping people out. He was actually one of those people that when people went up to him and told him they didn’t think they could go on anymore, he was actually the one that convinced them and saved them.”

Lu Maye said it meant so much to her to be with people who have such similar experiences —people who are hurting from the loss.

“It does good for me to be here. It helps my soul. And to have family and friends come here.”

Many people said the reason they walked because they had lost a veteran to suicide, and others said it’s to show service members they are not alone.

This year’s event raised about $120,000, according to Wisconsin's chapter treasurer, Scott Conklin. The money goes back into the veteran community to help active duty military members and veterans get support and have access to resources. In 2022, H.O.O.A.H. is planning to include an in-person march in Florida simultaneously with Wisconsin’s. The Florida location has not been decided yet.

For more information about H.O.O.A.H.'s services, visit its website. For future event information and to see more photos and videos from event, like them on Facebook.

The event was live-streamed by a Tampa Bay production crew, Alinea Production, who is involved in a lot of veteran productions throughout St. Petersburg and Tampa.