United States Military Veterans are 50% more likely to die from suicide than their civilian counterparts. In 2018, 6,435 Veterans died by suicide. By working with Fight Oar Die, we hope to bring awareness to this problem, as well as possible solutions.
When Veterans return home from service, they often face a myriad of challenges: cognitive, physical, behavioral, and more. Regardless of their service, every Veteran struggles with transitional stress when they come home. Fight Oar Die is an organization that is looking to raise awareness for these challenges. Every year, Fight Oar Die puts together an all-American, all-military Veteran, four person ocean rowing team to participate in the Talisker Whisky Atlantic Challenge.
Did you know that more people have climbed Mount Everest than have rowed across the Atlantic Ocean? The Talisker Whisky Atlantic Challenge is the premier racing event in ocean rowing. Teams who take on the challenge start in Spain and row across the Atlantic Ocean in a rowboat, finishing in Antigua. The overall trip amounts to about 3,000 nautical miles. Fight Oar Die sends their team every year to compete in the 50 day race.
VETERANS FACING HARDSHIP
The goal of the organization is to raise awareness of, as well as support for, the United States Veterans who face hardships during their service and when they return home. Fight Oar Die believes that Veterans are often overlooked, and the issues they struggle with are not always properly addressed by existing programs. The Talisker Whisky Atlantic Challenge gives them the opportunity to direct attention to these struggles, as well as raise money to help United States Veterans. Fight Oar Die believes that awareness is the catalyst for change, but action is what makes things happen. And there are few actions as intense as sailing across the Atlantic Ocean in a rowboat.
Beyond the Challenge itself, Fight Oar Die works hard to help Veterans and others take charge of their own health, particularly mental health. Their goal is to inspire Veterans to live their lives instead of taking them. They offer free courses in Mental Health First Aid in pursuit of this work. Mental Health First Aid helps to improve the public's knowledge of mental health, as well as substance abuse issues, and connects people to care for both.
At Hemplucid, we are thrilled to have the opportunity to partner with Fight Oar Die in this worthy cause. You can donate to Fight Oar Die by selecting your contribution amount below. Every dollar that you donate through the Hemplucid website will be matched by Hemplucid, so you can double your impact. Together, we can prove that Veterans can grow, excel, and achieve anything they set their minds to, regardless of what they have experienced in the past.
Learn more about Fight Oar Die by visiting usvetrow.org
