Legion Family members walk to Be the One
On a walk last September, Legionnaire Roy Smith reflected on The American Legion’s veteran suicide prevention mission – Be the One – and ways he could help spread awareness about the cause to save a life. About eight months later, he found his way to share Be the One.
On May 11, nearly 100 Illinois American Legion Family members, community members and National American Legion Commander Daniel Seehafer participated in an American Legion Suicide Awareness Walk hosted by Post 914 in Louisville, Ill.
“I wanted to get people to think about that we have veterans and active-duty servicemembers dying by suicide at an astounding rate, and we need to try to figure out a way to curb that. And that's why we walked,” said Smith, past Post 914 commander. “When I was in the Navy, we were always taking care of one another, looking out for my fellow sailors. There’s a need for that right now. We need to look out for one another.”
The 8.5-mile walk started at 8 a.m. at the Clay County World War II Veterans Memorial in Flora, Ill., and ended at the Clay County Veterans Memorial in Louisville. For over three hours along a busy highway and community streets, Smith walked for Be the One with his 12-year-old grandson; fellow Legion Family members that included Seehafer, Illinois Department Commander Delmar Buske and Past National Commander and Department Adjutant Marty Conatser; and friends. All wore Be the One T-shirts to show why they were walking.
“People gave us thumbs up as they drove by, and I waved,” Smith said. “It was more of a thank you for letting us walk, but also letting them know that we were out there doing this for a reason. And for the most part, 99 percent of them waved back or honked to let me know that they liked what we were doing, was glad that we were doing it, and there were so many people that came up later and thanked me. They were glad that somebody finally has stood up and said that suicide is out there, and we need to do something about it.”
Registration for the walk was free but donations were accepted. This resulted in nearly $9,000 raised to support Be the One at the national level.
“This year was a success as far as I am concerned because we raised some money and we got people that are at least talking about the walk and what it was all about,” Smith said.
Smith is already planning the 2025 American Legion Suicide Awareness Walk in Louisville to again be held in May on the day before Mother’s Day which aligns with the walk’s slogan, “Let’s not let another mother miss Mother's Day without her veteran.”
“I have heard nothing but compliments about the walk, and I think we made a difference. I hope we made a difference in somebody's life,” he said. “I know the people that walked felt good about themselves, felt good for what they've done.”
Smith shared a few best practices to organize a Be the One walk:
Start planning early. Smith started planning for the walk last September. He first reached out to the local sheriff’s department about routes and road closures, received approval and support from members of Post 914, and informed Conatser about his idea. The department helped with a flyer, waiver, registration form and date to host the walk which coincided with Seehafer’s visit to the department.
Advertise. Smith customized the Be the One press release and sent it to the local newspaper in Louisville and the nearby town of Effingham where articles about the walk were published before to promote it and after to highlight its success; a local radio station announced the walk; and flyers were distributed around town and to schools.
Find a route. “But don't pick an easy route. Pick one that's going to be a little bit more inconvenient to some people,” Smith said, adding that they walked along Highway 45 where motorists usually drive up to 60 miles per hour but had to slow down for the walkers. “I want people to have to be inconvenienced by us going down this highway. I want them to be inconvenienced for just a few minutes to realize why we are walking and what we're walking for. Once they found out why we were walking, they were honking.”
Contact local government officials. “I went to law enforcement in both Flora and Louisville to make sure they were OK with me closing a few roads for just a little bit, and I had 100 percent support from those city governments. Our city governments really helped us out.” Smith also spoke with emergency responders and an ambulance followed the walk with paramedics ready to help if needed as it was when a walker fell. And the transportation department provided a truck with an electronic signboard to inform motorists to slow down and move over for the walkers.
Identify transportation needs. Because it was a long walk, a tractor pulling a covered wagon with seats followed the walk for people who became tired or who wanted to participate but couldn’t walk the whole distance. A few minibuses also shuttled participants back to the start since it was a point-to-point walk. Water also was handed out along the way.