Veterans Ruck March - Bloomington, IL

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Veterans Ruck March - Bloomington, IL We march to raise awareness of veteran suicide and gather support for local organizations that help our community veterans' mental health.

The VFW 454 invites you to walk in the 5th Annual Veterans Ruck March on Saturday, October 17. Currently, 22 veterans take their own lives each day. We are marching to raise awareness of veteran suicide and gain community support. https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing/veterans-ruck-march

Can't forget about the doggos! 🐾 Our event beneficiary, Devildog Canine, is putting skin the game and donated the Ultima...
10/16/2026

Can't forget about the doggos! 🐾 Our event beneficiary, Devildog Canine, is putting skin the game and donated the Ultimate Dog Lover basket.

Inside you got ALL of this:

🥎 Toys!
🦴 Treats!
🎾 Biothane tennis ball/small ball carrier!
✨ Biothane seatbelt clip!
🐕‍🦺 Biothane leash!
***Devildog Canine training vouchers ($300)***
🛁 Pet Supplies Plus bath cards (20 baths)!
😎 Devildog Canine swag!
($787 value)

Literally everything you need to play with your pup, bathe your fur baby, cart your buddy around safely, and bond together all while repping your veteran support.

Raffle tickets may be purchased tomorrow at the 5th Annual VFW 454 Veterans Ruck March 2026. You do not have to be present to win and all proceeds will be donated to Devildog Canine to apply to training service dogs for local veterans.

See you there!

🦆 And now another raffle basket "ducking" into the mix! Get excited about the Waterfowl Fanatic Basket generously donate...
10/16/2026

🦆 And now another raffle basket "ducking" into the mix! Get excited about the Waterfowl Fanatic Basket generously donated by McLean County Ducks Unlimited and Pat Gregory, an award-winning duck decoy carver and passionate outdoorsman.

Here's what's inside:

🦆 Hand-crafted Ruddy Duck decoy with stand
🧢 Four McLean County Ducks Unlimited hats
✨ Premium koozies
🫣 Sturdy camouflage cups
($300 value)

Raffle ticket proceeds benefit Devildog Canine, the 5th Annual VFW 454 Veterans Ruck March 2026 event beneficiary. Funds will apply to service dog training for local veterans.

Join us for the 5th Annual VFW 454 Veterans Ruck March 2026! We walk together to raise awareness of veteran su***de and...
10/15/2026

Join us for the 5th Annual VFW 454 Veterans Ruck March 2026! We walk together to raise awareness of veteran su***de and support local organizations helping veterans with their mental health.

This event is open to veterans and community members alike!

Rucking just means you are walking with a weight on your back.

We suggest you bring a backpack full of food items for donation to the Midwest Food Bank. Last year we donated over 1,500 lbs of food!

The full route is 7.6 miles:
VFW 454 ➡️ Fiala Brothers Brewery & B**r Hall ➡️ Keg Grove Brewing Company - Bloomington ➡️ Brass Pig Smoke & Alehouse ➡️ VFW.

We spend 30 minutes at each stop to regroup and get a quick break before stepping off for the next leg of the route.

The event beneficiary this year is Devildog Canine. Funds raised from the event will apply to service dog training fees for local veterans. Training costs roughly $11,000 per dog so our fundraising goal is $22,000.

We invite you to get involved, show veterans they are not alone, and .

TIMELINE
8:00-8:30 AM - Check-in, raffle ticket sales, limited event t-shirt, long sleeve tees and hoodie sales

8:35-8:45 AM - Welcome speech and a word from our event beneficiary

8:50 AM - Final call for raffle sales + group photo

9:00 AM - Step off for Fiala Bros

10:15 AM - Drop off food donations at Fiala

10:45 AM - Step off for Keg Grove

11:20 AM - Gift card giveaway at Keg Grove

11:50 AM - Step off for Brass Pig

12:10 PM - Pit stop at Brass Pig

12:40 PM - Step off for VFW 454

1:25 PM - Last call for raffles before drawing

2:00 PM - Announce raffle winners and adjourn

*** SIGN UP + DONATE ***
https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing/veterans-ruck-march--2026

*** LIQUOR RAFFLE ***
https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing/veterans-ruck-march-2026-liquor-raffle

You don't have to be present to win these raffles. We must be able to contact you.

Look who else is on a mission to help local veterans and support their mental health! MISSION BBQ in neighboring Peoria,...
10/15/2026

Look who else is on a mission to help local veterans and support their mental health! MISSION BBQ in neighboring Peoria, Illinois donated an absolutely delicious basket to raffle off on Saturday. Here's what's inside:

❇️ 2 craft sodas
🤤 2 bottles of homemade bbq sauce
🍗 Chicken dry rub
🔪 Small cutting board
♨️ Grill utensil set
🧊 Small cooler bag
✴️ 2 koozies
👍 $50 gift card
($130 value)

We admire Mission BBQ's deep military roots and commitment to uplifting the veteran community. Thank you for your generosity!

Raffle tickets will be available for purchase on Saturday, 10/17 at the 5th Annual VFW 454 Veterans Ruck March 2026!

Give it up for The Virtus Financial Group for sponsoring the 5th Annual VFW 454 Veterans Ruck March 2026! We welcome the...
10/15/2026

Give it up for The Virtus Financial Group for sponsoring the 5th Annual VFW 454 Veterans Ruck March 2026! We welcome their partnership to embrace local veterans and take action to make a meaningful difference.

We are so thankful for local businesses like Virtus for stepping up for our veterans. How will you ?

Explore your options here:
https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing/veterans-ruck-march--2026

***de Devildog Canine

A big shout out goes to Fox Pest Control for joining the mission to end veteran su***de! Thank you for your contribution...
10/14/2026

A big shout out goes to Fox Pest Control for joining the mission to end veteran su***de! Thank you for your contribution to local veterans in our community so that they can live life with a trained service dog by their sides.

Explore the ways you can join the mission right here:

https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing/veterans-ruck-march--2026

Or take advantage of our Liquor Raffle for Veterans Ruck March! Tickets are selling NOW! ⬇️

https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing/veterans-ruck-march-2026-liquor-raffle

VFW 454 Veterans Ruck March 2026
Devildog Canine

10/14/2026

Ruck marches, although not the only way to generate awareness of veteran su***de, are valuable for several reasons:

- Visibility
- Unity
- Approachability

People notice when a pack of 150+ people walk past! This is a simple, positive way to alert society to a very real, tragic problem.

Individuals personally struggling when they come to the march report feeling seen and uplifted by such a supportive, purposeful group.

The multi-stop format of this ruck allows the group to stay together regardless of fitness level or speed - no man left behind!

Losing their sense of safety and belonging is one of the key factors affecting veterans' mental health and well-being after leaving the military. They desire a unit.

Stopping several times along the route also makes this an approachable event. Walking nearly 8 miles straight while carrying weight may not be feasible for some. Breaking up the route invites allows more participation.

We invite everyone to join us! Registration is required to walk with us (liability waiver) and donations are encouraged to help us fundraise for veteran organizations in our town who are helping local veterans stick around and thrive.

Will we see you there?

5th Annual VFW 454 Veterans Ruck March 2026
🗓️ Saturday, October 17
⏰ 8 AM - 2 PM
📍Starts and ends at VFW 454 on Lincoln Street



SIGN UP / DONATE / SPONSOR
https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing/veterans-ruck-march--2026

📣 LAST CALL FOR SPONSORS! As we tie up the loose ends and add the finishing touches for this Saturday's 5th Annual VFW 4...
10/13/2026

📣 LAST CALL FOR SPONSORS! As we tie up the loose ends and add the finishing touches for this Saturday's 5th Annual VFW 454 Veterans Ruck March 2026, we want to extend a final invite to all interested parties to as an event sponsor.

Enjoy positive press and recognition as a community partner and veteran advocate. This is a great way to spotlight your company values and exercise your generosity.

You'll also see your logo on the back of our event t-shirts, offering repeat exposure when the 130+ ruckers wear these shirts time and again. Higher tier sponsors find their logos placed more prominently and larger in size.

Our event sponsors also see their logo on the event banner placed everywhere during the event.

***DEADLINE for sponsors is Wednesday, 10/14***

All the things - ruck sign-up, donations, and sponsorships - are right here in this link. ⬇️

https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing/veterans-ruck-march--2026

Do not hesitate to reach out for help.

***deprevention Devildog Canine

Address

1006 E Lincoln Street #2
Bloomington, IL
61701

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