According to recent studies, a staggering 22 veterans take their own lives each day due to untreated combat-related stressors and injuries.
To bring awareness to veteran suicide and honor those 22 lives, Warriors for Freedom Foundation, a 501c3 non-profit organization dedicated to serving military veterans, is teaming with NFL Hall of Famer Chris Doleman and Fantasy Sports Network to launch a national campaign, Remembering the 22, on Memorial Day Weekend.
Similar to the Ice Bucket Challenge, Remembering the 22 asks athletes, celebrities, individuals and businesses to donate $22 to Warriors for Freedom, then take a selfie with the #22 as a focus, post the image via social media and tag with #Rememberingthe22 and challenge their friends, colleagues and fellow business owners to take a stand with them against this epidemic. For more information about Remembering the 22, which kicks off on May 22, go to www.rememberingthe22.org.
“Our goal is to help raise awareness about this tragic occurrence and hopefully save lives in the process,” said Amber Moulder, executive director of Warriors for Freedom.
Former NFL player and founder of cause awareness agency Dolemanity, Chris Doleman is teaming with Warriors for Freedom and casting a wide net to his celebrity and athlete friends as well as his NFL Hall of Fame family to take the challenge and participate in raising awareness for the cause. Dolemanity custom designs once-in-a-lifetime experiences that not only raise funds, but increase fan engagement.
“There is no better day than Memorial Day to honor our military and raise awareness for an epidemic that devastates families,” says Doleman. “The challenge can include things such as taking a selfie with your #22 jersey or calling out your 22 interceptions last season to touting your 22 years of marriage or your daughter’s 22nd birthday. It can even be as simple as flashing a double peace sign. We are encouraging fans to be creative and start the momentum. Together, we will make a difference for this cause.”
Remembering the 22 is sponsored by Dolemanity and Fantasy Sports Network.
Warriors for Freedom Foundation is a non-profit, tax-exempt organization that provides support to our nation’s heroes and their families in the areas of outdoor activities, scholarships and promoting mental health and wellness awareness, specifically post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), combat stress reaction (CSR), military sexual trauma (MST), traumatic brain injury (TBI) and veteran suicide. For more information on Warriors for Freedom Foundation, go to www.warriorsforfreedom.org.
