By Joel Langton
The 830 Times
With a veteran suicide rate going through the roof, Finding Our Brothers and Sisters, aka FOB Del Rio, organized its 3rd Annual Suicide Ruck March to highlight this deadly issue.
Estimates range anywhere from 17 to 22 veterans take
their lives daily.
More than 120 people turned out with backpacks and weighted vests to walk nearly seven miles to raise awareness of this important issue.
“We want to bring awareness to this issue here in Del Rio,” said Celso Barrientos, FOB Del Rio’s chief financial officer. “When we started, we aimed at 50 people and we ended up with 122 registered. This has been our biggest event so far and our last one, we had 60 people attend.
Each entrant paid $22 and received a medal and t-shirt, along with the walk experience.
FOB Del Rio is a local non-profit that tries to help veterans reestablish their lives for themselves, family and their community, according to their organization’s mission statement.
The Bad Company Motorcycle Club helped block traffic and ensure marchers were safe.
The march began at Del Rio’s Community Garden, 210 Jones St., snaked its way along numerous streets in south Del Rio and turned around near the Del Rio Port of Entry, coming back through south Del Rio, up Main Street and going down East Losoya Street to the Gillis Street bridge and ending back at the community garden where more festivities kicked off. People were standing outside homes and businesses along the route, and one woman applauding the marchers in front of Mesquite Creek Outfitters expressed disappointment.
“I really think this is great,” she said. “I’m just sad that there aren’t more people out supporting this cause. We need people just standing out and cheering everyone on.”
One member, Rebecca Garcia, a veterinary technician who works with Lackland’s Military Working Dog program, said it was important to her to support the cause.
“I’m out here carrying the name of my brother-in-law who committed suicide in May,” she said. “It’s really sad but unfortunately not everyone feels comfortable to talk about things that we go through…but it’s okay not to be okay.”
At the end, organizers and the Del Rio Parks Foundation had the band Family Jewelz playing, a beer truck to sell adult beverages
and were grilling chicken quarters for the event’s after party. Proceeds of the after party benefited the Del Rio Parks Foundation.
“When organizations work together like they did here, it shows there is strength in community and really amazing things can happen,” said Bruno Lozano, founder of Del Rio PTSD Awareness and President of the Del Rio Parks Foundation.
The event netted nearly $1,000 for FOB Del Rio but Barrientos said that wasn’t the goal. “Our goal was to raise awareness in Del Rio and I think we did that.
The writer can be reached at joelalangton@gmail.com .
