Joshua Grzegorzewski: the RunningBull Blog : Tags : homeless

I have formally launched my public awareness and fundraising campaign in support of the New England Shelter for Homeless Veterans in Boston. Veteran's concerns have always been on the periphery of my life since my father is a veteran of 3 tours of Vietnam who suffers from PTSD and Agent Orange related illnesses. These issues moved closer to the forefront after he had a stroke during surgery for a brain aneurism which has left him half paralyzed and in need of the services provided by the Medical Centers operated by the Veterans Administration. And I realize now that he is actually lucky to have these services and programs available to him.

Veterans make up over 25% of the homeless American population. Over 40% of these veterans suffer from psychological disorders and 35% have some sort of chemical dependancy, generally used as self-medication for their disorders and to cope with the harsh realities they find themselves in. This is not things should be and WE have the power to do something about it. These men and women stepped up and answered when this Nation called. They served, protected, and honored the United States of America and then...they were forgotten, forsaken, and ignored.

RunningBull's Run to Honor America's Veterans is actually a series of thematically related racing events intended to Honor the sacrifices made by America's Veterans in their dedicated service to keep our very society what it is today while raising awareness of the situation many of our veteran's find themselves in. The schedule of events is as follows:

Event Name	Event Date	Location	* Event Distance *
1. Bataan Death March Memorial	3-30-08	White Sands Missile Range, NM	Marathon (26.2)
2. Boston Marathon	4-21-08	Hopkinton-Boston, MA	Marathon (26.2)
3. Western States Endurance Run (70-mile Memorial Day Weekend)	5-24/26-08	Auburn, CA	70 Mile (trail)
4. POW-MIA Race for Freedom	6-22-08	South Boston, MA	5 Mile
5. Concord Minuteman Classic	7-04-08	Concord, Ma	5 Mile
6. Air Force Marathon	9-20-08	Wright Paterson AFB, OH	Marathon (26.2)
7. Army 10-Miler	10-05-08	Washington, DC	10 Mile
8. Marine Corps. Marathon	10-26-08	Washington, DC	Marathon (26.2)
9. Veterans Memorial Road Race	11-11-08	Stoneham, MA	11k
10. JFK 50-Mile Memorial	11-22-08	Boonsboro-Williamsport, MD	50 Mile (trail)

I will also be participating in other events over the course of the year which are not directly associated with RunningBull's Run, such as next weekend's ING Miami Marathon where I will be a Pace Leader for participants attempting to complete the 26.2 miles in 3 hours and 30 minutes (or less).

Please visit http://www.active.com/donate/runningbull to help participate in this tribute to the service of our veterans and help fund the programs and services of the NESHV that help rehabilitate and reintegrate our homeless and unemployed veterans.