GREEN BAY, Wis. (NBC 26) -- Across from the Veterans Memorial outside Lambeau Field, four St. Norbert College ROTC students began a 140-mile ruck march to Milwaukee to raise awareness for veterans' suicide.
I'm just excited for the experience," ROTC student Samuel Skiff said. "I've never walked or rucked 140 miles before, so I think it'll be a great experience for a great cause."
The four students are trying to raise $20,000 in a nod to the 20 veterans that commit suicide daily.
"We want to bring so much awareness to these guys because, you know, we're all currently in the military," ROTC student Karsen Sherrick said. "And they had our backs at one point, and we want to make sure we have their backs as well."
All proceeds will go to the 4th H.O.O.A.H. Wisconsin chapter, a Green Bay-based charity that supports the local military community.
"The fact that they're laying the foundation for potentially something they might need down the road, it's just awesome," chapter president Tammy Hardwick said.
"They do things such as window and AC repair for local veterans," Sherrick said. "They take them skydiving and scuba diving, and our goal is to raise money and awareness for them to they can continue to support our veterans at home."
With 45 pounds on their backs, the men will stop in Luxemburg, Kewanee, Manitowoc, Sheboygan, and Belgium before getting to Milwaukee.
"It's essentially just putting on a big pack with a lot of weight," ROTC student Jason Ortscheid said. "They're usually used between movements and missions for infantry."
"I have a hard time talking about this without being emotional because I'm hoping one day we don't have to help them," Hardwick said.
Two of the four students just returned from training at Fort McCoy before the school year. All four students say they were tested for coronavirus before taking on the ruck march Sunday morning, and are carrying masks with them. They're hoping anyone who sees them on their journey will stop to say hello.
