Team Red, White & Blue commemorates 9/11 with special run
Drivers along State Road 162 and 161 will likely encounter a group of runners beating their way across the county Sunday morning.
The American flag and a flag representing the newly formed veterans group, Team Red White & Blue, will lead the procession of about 40 runners for 11 miles from Ferdinand to Jasper’s Veterans Memorial Bridge in honor of the 15th anniversary of the attacks of 9/11.
Organizers are asking the public to please be patient with the procession as no person will be left behind in the run. “We are going to be matching the pace of our slowest runner,” Jeff Durlauf, Team RWB member and co-organizer explained.
Challenges build teams and help refine purpose and friendships. To that point, each mile of the 11-mile run will be capped with nine squats. The final exhausting mile will end with 15 burpees. The numbers are significant to the anniversary obviously but the group’s combined efforts signify the essence of military service — challenges met with teamwork that instill a sense of purpose.
The new Dubois County chapter’s run not only honors those who were lost in and since the attacks but also works to heal the impact on those who have fought and returned.
Eric Evitts, a Ferdinand native and Marine who saw combat in Afghanistan, relentlessly pursued creating a chapter here in Dubois County after taking part in some activities in Indianapolis. He had a hard time with PTSD after returning from Afghanistan and the organization’s activities have helped him.
Here is a bit of his story.
An unconditional prescription heals a warrior’s heart
He succeeded in forming the group with some tremendous help from Brad Harris, a friend he met through the Indianapolis chapter and Kian Donahue, Team RWB’s regional director.
“Once I announced on Facebook that Team RWB was coming to Southern Indiana, I had a tremendous amount of help from everybody in the community,” Evitts explained.
When veterans leave the military, the loss of a familiar and close group of friends as well as a sense of purpose can further alienate them from civilian society. This can increase the effects of depression and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).
Team Red, White & Blue helps with this by incorporating challenging activities, camaraderie and a sense of purpose to capture the same esprit de corps found in the military.
Those same basic principles have led to explosive growth in the local chapter. Since forming about two months ago, the group now has nearly 150 members and averages four new members daily. Civilians and veterans are invited to join and take part in the group’s activities for free by registering at the Team Red, White & Blue website.
[quote]”I think Team Red, White & Blue gives us an avenue to do more than a Facebook post. It gives us an opportunity to build a bond with our veterans and to be there for them emotionally.”[/quote] Evitts credits the organization’s mission and the tremendous amount of support from the community for the success so far.
“I mean, I honestly can’t even remember all the names there was just so much positive involvement from the community,” he said. “And I think that’s why we have been so successful up to this point, because the community is really coming together.”
The reflects the national trend of Team Red, White & Blue. The Tampa-based nonprofit has become one of the nation’s fastest growing veteran service organizations since its inception in 2010 through its ability to reach veterans in a familiar way. Their efforts have redefined the term “veterans group.”
Yes, civilians can join too. In fact, they are encouraged to do so as it gives civilians an insight into the military’s approach to teamwork. It also forms connections between those veterans and the communities they return to. Bonds that are important as veterans face the loss of their identity once they are disconnected from their service.
“Statistics have shown that Team RWB has not only helped veterans but also helps civilians understand what veterans go through,” Evitts explained. “It really connects them together and forms a special bond over time and I think we are slowly starting to see that here and it’s amazing.”
Durlauf, who is a teacher at Forest Park and operates Southern Indiana Complete Fitness in Ferdinand, said he sees the benefit of creating the local team. “When I was growing up, the best bonds that I can remember and the friendships that were forged were always as part of a team,” he explained. “I think the military guys find that to be the same and as they transition out that bond is lost. We are trying to create another one in another way to help them re-integrate in the community.”
It also gives the community an opportunity to show their support. “The community is great about getting on Facebook and Twitter around Veterans Day or Memorial Day and posting messages of support and for a lot of us, that is the end of it,” Durlauf said. “I think Team Red, White & Blue gives us an avenue to do more than a Facebook post. It gives us an opportunity to build a bond with our veterans and to be there for them emotionally.”
To host the physical activity part of the group’s goals, Durlauf has opened up his business on the second and fourth Saturdays of the month for a free workout hosted at 10:30 a.m. In Jasper, Crossfit Discipline has done the same on the first and third Saturdays of the month at 8 a.m.
In addition, the group has a Veterans Day shoot scheduled to happen at OFS Brands’ Cool Springs Education Center. That event is totally free for all members and includes a meal.
This Sunday, the Freedom Walk will begin at 9 a.m. EST at SIC Fitness located behind Marvin’s Bargain Barn on State Road 162. They estimate they will reach the bridge by 12:30 p.m.
If you are interested in more information or would like to support the group’s efforts, contact Eric Evitts at 812-639-7928.
