Ruck Between Rivers completes 3rd ruck
On Sunday September 17, nineteen participants completed the 3rd annual Ruck Between Rivers, comprised of 197 miles between the Mississippi and Missouri rivers. Each year a group of volunteers comes together to make the walk between the rivers with a rucksack on their back. This year they were also carrying an American flag. Green said the flags seemed to help bring more awareness to what they were doing and had more people stopping to say hello and to offer a few dollars along the way.
Each rucker team of two people walks at least two legs of ten miles each, but there were five or six who did thirty miles each.
“I’ve always had a joke that it’s up hill all the way,” Green said. “One of the guys did the research, the Mark Twain Bridge at Hannibal is 445 feet lower in elevation than the Pony Express Bridge in St. Joseph. So it is up hill all the way.”
Every dime raised by the ruck goes to the Cameron Veterans Assistance League to support them and to provide whatever the veterans at the home would like to have. This year so far around $4,000 has been raised. In three years they have raised close to $20,000.
Several people from Cameron participated in the event and there was a lot of support from the 139th Airlift Wing in St. Joseph. There was one Silver Star recipient who also participated in the ruck. There were several veterans of the ruck who returned to do it again.
The ruck is not like taking a typical walk and it takes training to prepare. According to Green there is a big difference in simply walking around town and doing a ten-mile walk on the highway. There is traffic, weather, and the heat can be intense, not only from the sun, but also reflecting back from the pavement. During the ruck this year, Green said the rain Saturday hit him full in the face and covered him in mud and sand.
“It’s a constant pounding on your joints from your feet all the way up through your shoulders,” Green said.
This year’s ruck ended with a concert in Krug Park in St. Joseph.
Green said they have big plans for next year.
“Next year, I would like our group to cross the state of Missouri in less than 48 hours,” Green said. The participants will carry a lighter ruck sack on their back, 15 pounds and have individuals walking in shorter legs, probably five miles – each person will have to be able to walk a 15 minute mile to make it happen.
Last year they did the trek in 52 hours, so he believes it will be possible, but it’s going to take training to do.
During the ruck, those waiting to walk visit all the retirement homes along the route, visiting with veterans and residents there, hearing their stories, and telling the veterans what they are doing. There are more than ten homes they visit during the ruck.
The ruck is a great opportunity and fundraiser, but Green is clear, “It’s all about the veterans. They are why we do this.”
Green said they are always in need of volunteers, not just to do the walk, but also drivers and support personnel. There is also fundraising, if someone even just wants to do a bake sale and contribute the monies to Ruck Between Rivers, Green says they will be sure they get the credit for the contributions they made.
“And if they can’t do that, if they can’t contribute monetarily or volunteer, just go fellowship with the veterans at the home. That is just as good as giving money. Ask what were they in, every one of them is a history book and they want that history to go out,” Green said.
Green encouraged people to reach out to Barbara Caldwell the Volunteer Coordinator at the Veterans Home and see if there is a time they can come out and meet or talk, even play checkers.
“Take a day once a month and go out to the Veterans Home,” Green said.
Donations will be accepted by Ruck Between Rivers through October and then in November they will present a check to the Veterans Home.
If you would like to contribute to Ruck Between Rivers you can find them on their Facebook page.
