BENTONVILLE — More than 100 people sweated their way through a warm morning at Memorial Park on Saturday to raise money for wounded veterans.
Participants at the first Wounded Warrior CrossFit NWA fundraiser did a variety of CrossFit exercises to represent the number of U.S. soldiers who have fallen in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. All of the proceeds from the event benefited the Wounded Warrior Project, a program that aims to meet the needs of injured service members.
“Every repetition represents a fallen soldier,” said Lee Kelly, owner of CrossFit Northwest Arkansas.
By The Numbers
Casualties Of War
w 6,440: Service members who died in Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom
w 82: Arkansans who died in the two wars
w 466: Soldiers who died in 2011
w 2,899: Killed soldiers age 20 to 24
Source: Washington Post
Each participant was given a card with an agenda of exercises on the front and a photo and biography of a fallen soldier on the back. One of the cards honored Specialist Samuel T. Watts, a 20-year-old Army soldier from the 82nd Airborne Division, who died just a week ago of wounds suffered from a bomb in April in Afghanistan.
Organizer Lance Holly said in an email to the teams the biographies are designed to give them focus.
“This is on whom your specific team’s tribute should be focused,” Holly wrote. “I promise it will help push through reps when you get tired.”
Kelly said about 25 percent of the members of his Bentonville gym are military veterans and held Saturday’s fundraiser dear to their hearts. CrossFit is an exercise regimen that ties in with the military take on physical fitness.
CrossFit emphasizes a variety of exercises to increase overall fitness, including cardiovascular health, stamina, strength and balance.
The day started with the national anthem and a flag presentation by representatives from veterans groups. Steve Milbourn, District 1 commander of the Veterans of Foreign Wars, said events like Saturday’s are important to enabling his organization to assist veterans in need. He said it’s a misconception veterans sit around at a bar and talk about the old days.
“We donated over $11 million last year and millions of hours of volunteer work at community events,” Milbourn said.
He said his post has helped nine veterans pay for food and gasoline this month alone. The Department of Veterans Affairs estimates 67,000 veterans are homeless on any given night, about one-fifth of the homeless population.
“Our small post doesn’t have the money to do it,” Milbourn said. “We have to go out and hustle to help people get through the day.”
Garry Wellesley with the Wallis and Witcher VFW post in Rogers said he was happy to see so many young people supporting veterans causes. He said many veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars don’t join and contribute to local VFW groups.
He encouraged young veterans to join a local post and “carry the card” even if they aren’t able to be very active. An increase in numbers helps the organization as it lobbies in Washington for veterans issues, said Milbourn.
Milbourn admitted he was slow to join a local post when he came home from Vietnam in 1967. He said the pressures of working and building a family often keep young veterans occupied. But he said the organization works to protect benefits, such as the G.I. Bill and home loan assistance, that are important to all veterans.
“We have people on Capitol Hill every day to keep politicians from taking away our entitlements,” Milbourn said. “We need young veterans and their numbers to show up.”