The Ruck 4 Freedom is an annual event organized by The Hope Foundation where I sit on the Board of Directors. Being a resident of Seville for 15 years and raising my son, an Infantryman in the Army in this very neighborhood, I wanted to bring a military-themed event to our community.

For as long as I can remember, my son, Chase, wanted to join the Army. In his junior year at
Basha High School he met an Army recruiter and the journey began. Being my oldest child and
the first who would leave home, I was not very interested in bootcamp as his destination.
Months of discussions took place, all of which left him firm in his choice to join, and me
frustrated and scared. I remember sitting one day going over in my head all the reasons why I
didn’t want him to go and trying to find a reason that he should. At that moment I asked myself,
why should my son not be one of the brave soldiers who fight for the very freedoms I enjoy. My
perspective instantly changed and although I was still scared, I became more proud and grateful than any negative emotions I felt.

Within days of graduating high school, he left for Ft. Benning, Georgia where he would spend
nearly 9 months in training. During that time I attended every event or promotion ceremony they
had. I made friends with other parents who had sons serving with mine and became part of a
family I didn’t even know I needed. My gratitude for those who serve became deeper and real.
The love of my Country grew, and the freedoms which I enjoy became precious because I felt
the sacrifice firsthand. Over the course of my son's service, we have missed multiple holidays,
scheduled visits where we didn’t even get to see him while there, experienced a year long
deployment to Afghanistan, with a list that goes on. His service has taught me to dig deeper for
strength, find compassion for others, and have more gratitude for all the blessings I have.

As I have walked this journey of an Army Mom, I have not been able to shake the desire to do
something hard, like our soldiers, to show how grateful I am for the sacrifices they make. That is
where Ruck 4 Freedom was born. In the military, our soldiers carry rucksacks which are big
backpacks with all of their gear. These rucks can sometimes weigh over 100 pounds and carry
all the items a soldier would need in war. They walk miles with these packs, use them for
training, and have symbolic marches to signify the completion of an advancement.
Ruck 4 Freedom gives individuals, families, and military within our own community the
opportunity to walk or run together, with or without a backpack/rucksack and show our gratitude through action.

The proceeds raised from this event are earmarked through The Hope Foundation to
pay therapy costs for military, first responders, and their families through sponsorships. I have
mourned the loss of soldiers within my son's unit, and talked with young men who were
struggling away from home, with loneliness and battling depression. I have walked some dark
days with my own son and know that mental health for our servicemen and women needs to
change. They need more options. I am determined to continue to grow this event, bring
awareness to our troops' needs and give them resources through HOPE.

Each year, we have 100s of participants, many of whom are from Seville. Rucks
and backpacks are carried, some covered in ribbons for service members we wanted to
honor. Our QC Army Recruiting Station has carried heavy packs and run alongside our community.
I hope you can join us on November 29th at Horseshoe Park in Queen Creek for our third annual event. For details and to register, please visit: www.ruck4freedom.org
For more information on what HOPE is doing, you can find us at www.hopefoundationgives.org