An all-day Veterans Suicide Awareness event Saturday in Wellsville will feature a 5K Ruck, family barbecue, music, and a resources fair as an Allegany County initiative seeks to bring attention to veteran health needs.
The activity will be held from 10AM to 4PM at Island Park, West Dyke Street, with check-in for the Ruck, a hike with full backpack, starting at 9:30AM.
Veterans aren’t required to participate in the hike to attend the event, designed to bring veterans and their families together in an ongoing effort to build awareness about and help break the stigma about mental health and suicide.
Organizers say it also is part of an effort to help build a stronger veteran community in which “You are not alone. We’ve got your six,” reflecting a phrase coined by World War 1 fighter pilots and associating with hands on a clock, proclaiming that they were watching and protecting the backs of each other from enemy attacks.
A U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs annual report last year found the suicide rate among veterans rose from 37.3 to 37.8 percent per 100,000 males and from 13.7 to 13.9 percent for females during the 2023 reporting period.
It said that suicide rates are elevated for veterans ages 18 to 34 and those with certain risk characteristics, including homelessness, health problems and pain, the latter being the most frequently identified risk factor.
The report found that 61 percent of veterans who died by suicide in 2023 were not receiving VA health care in the last year of their life.
Various free services are available at VA Medical Centers, along with their clinics which include a site at 348 Riverside Drive (State Route 19 North), Wellsville.
Primary care, family medicine, and mental health care, along with coordinating veteran transportation services to larger facilities for specialized services, are made available at that site for enrolled veterans.
Additional information about the site and how to enroll in VA Healthcare is available at https://tinyurl.com/VA-Clinic-Wellsville or (607) 664-4660, TYY 711.
Information on other community support services for veterans and their families will be available during Saturday’s event, which will include participation by Allegany Hope, along with its Allegany Hope Community News and What God is DoingTM in Allegany County ny initiatives.
Requested registration for the event, along with others being hosted by the Allegany County Dwyer Veterans Peer Support Program, is available at https://tinyurl.com/Alco-Dwyer-Activities.