Shepherd’s Men march 12 miles to honor veterans, raise funds for SHARE program
Group marches 12 miles to honor veterans, raise money
People from all around Georgia came together on Monday to take part in a 12-mile march honoring veterans and raising money for the Shepherd Center. Men took turns carrying 150 pounds of beer 12 miles in order to raise money for the center’s mission to provide free support and care for veterans suffering from traumatic brain injuries.
WOODSTOCK, Ga. - The group Shepherd’s Men completed their annual 12-mile march through Cherokee County Monday to honor veterans and raise money for the SHARE military initiative.
What we know:
Shepherd’s Men had around 60 people gathered to conduct the march, their biggest turnout yet.
The group started the march at the Reformation Brewery location in Canton and at the brewery in Woodstock.
The group members took turns carrying two 75-pound kegs full of beer and a 150-pound sack of coffee beans.
One of the founders of Shepherd’s Men, Travis Ellis, says the burdens they carry are symbolic of the ones too many veterans carry with them.
"A lot of people who return are not the same as when they deployed, who struggle with these injuries for months or years… they carry a heavy burden, so we can carry this weight today to symbolize the weight they carry and show them it's okay to not be okay," Ellis said.
Iraq War veteran Jarrad Turner took part in the march and said he hopes veterans who see this will understand how vital it is to reach out for help.
"To let our brothers and sisters and their families know and help them understand and know that, hey, look, you're not alone," Turner said.
Mission behind the march
The backstory:
Shepherd’s Men says they are doing this event to raise money for the Shepherd Center’s SHARE Military Initiative.
Which, according to Shepherd Center, provides comprehensive rehabilitation for service members and veterans with traumatic brain injuries and PTSD at no cost.
Turner credits that program with saving his life.
"If it honestly was not for the SHARE Military Initiative, I would not be here," Turner said.
Turner is a graduate of the program and served two deployments to Iraq before being medically retired from serious injuries in 2010.
He says that second deployment left him with scars both seen and unseen.
"Four shoulder surgeries, two elbow surgeries, two surgeries on my jaw and I got flayed open by a piece of shrapnel…just to hold a spoon, a fork to feed myself. It was years and years of recovery. But that was the physical side, the invisible wounds of war are the things that really unfortunately are plaguing us," Turner said.
He says SHARE Military Initiative is one of the only programs out there focused on Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBI) in vets.
"The identifiers of suicidal ideation, it's actually Traumatic Brain Injury. The Shepherd Center has been on the forefront of that," Turner said.
Brewing for a good cause
What's next:
The beer Shepherd’s Men carried throughout the march, Clarity Lager, is specifically brewed by Reformation Brewery to raise money for the SHARE program.
"One dollar of every pour and one dollar of every six-pack bought goes directly to the Shepherd’s Men. Last year we were able to do a $10,000 donation. We’re hoping to exceed that this year," said Spencer Nix, CEO and Founder of Reformation Brewery.
Shepherd’s Men says it’s raised more than $11 million since 2014 when it was founded, which has enabled around 300 veterans to participate in the SHARE Military Initiative.
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The Source: FOX 5’s Eric Mock interviewed members of Shepherd’s Men as they marched to honor veterans on Memorial Day. Additional information was also provided by Shepherd’s Men and Reformation Brewery.