Pound the Ground for veterans: grassroots suicide awareness campaign blossoms in Clovis/Fresno

Twenty-two.

That’s the average number of veterans killed by suicide every day, according to the Department of Veterans Affairs.

That staggering statistic has inspired the #22KILL movement nationwide, an awareness campaign that draws attention to veteran suicide and the issues behind it, such as post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and traumatic brain injury (TBI).

Locally, a similar movement has started to bring awareness to veteran suicide: Pound the Ground 22.

A growing number of residents gather on the 22nd of each month at different locations for a fitness-based event. Attendees are encouraged to buy an orange T-shirt or tank top printed with the words “Pound the Ground 22: Stop Veteran Suicide.” Proceeds are donated to veteran-serving nonprofit organizations.

On Friday, the public is invited to a 22-lap run, relay and walk around Clovis West High School’s track beginning at 6:30 p.m.

“We want to get as many people out there wearing the orange shirts, spreading the word, as possible,” said organizer Jenifer Alcorn, owner/operator of Team Jab Fitness Boot Camp. “It means a lot that civilians are coming out and recognizing that there is such a problem (as veteran suicide).”

Alcorn partnered with AMVETS past state commander Jerry Guevara to distribute suicide hotline information to participants.

Guevara, who served in the Navy from 1962 to 1966, said that not a lot of people are aware that veteran suicide rates are so high, and they don’t know how to help.

“This is just outrageous,” Guevara said. “There are other alternatives as far as where they can call and how they can get help. Veteran suicide is not something that the media or people like to talk about, but you need to talk about it.”

He attends Pound the Ground 22 events armed with hundreds of rubber bracelets bearing the phone number of the national Suicide Prevention & Crisis Hotline, 1-800-273-8255. Veterans are asked to press 1, Guevara said.

Along with the bracelets, Guevara distributes pocket cards and pamphlets informing the public on how to help veterans.

“If we can’t help them, oh my gosh …” Guevara trailed off. “They are the 1 percent. We ought to protect the one-percenters for the 99 percent who didn’t serve.”

Although Alcorn, a former boxer, has never served in the military, the first Pound the Ground 22 event was significant for her because her daughter and other family members serve or have served.

“In this country, the military fight for what I am able to do, which is be free,” she said. “I used to fight and not many countries allow women to fight. So that was a big deal. My name used to be ‘All-American’ Alcorn, and I’d come out to a military theme. I’ve always done a lot of stuff for the VA. So when this came up, it was important to me.”

The first event was a veteran-organized 22-mile road march through Fresno in September in BDUs (battle dress uniforms), boots and a 22-pound sac.

“There were 12 to 15 when we started and there were four when we finished, including myself,” Alcorn said.

She offered to run the program the following month, but because it was such a long, strenuous march, attendance didn’t increase.

“I invited a bunch of people from my own boot camp. We started again with about 10 to 15 people and again four finished,” Alcorn said.

In November, the 22nd landed on a Sunday, giving more people the opportunity to participate. Almost 30 people from Team Jab Fitness Boot Camp finished the 22-mile walk, and this time, participants had suicide prevention information to hand out.

“That one took almost 12 hours because they did a lot of community outreach and stopped to talked to a lot of people,” Alcorn said.

That was also the first time participants donned matching orange “Pound the Ground 22: Stop Veteran Suicide” T-shirts. Proceeds went to The Battle Buddy Foundation, which provides service dogs for disabled combat veterans who have PTSD, TBI or other injuries.

“For January we tried to brainstorm how to get more people involved. Not everyone wants to pound the ground for 22 miles,” Alcorn said. “So each month we come up with a different theme that is ‘22’ oriented.”

About 350 people attended a 2.2-mile walk around Fresno State in January.

The following month, about 300 people participated in a 22-exercise boot camp.

“It was just calisthenics,” she said. “It was all-ages; kids could go out there and have fun.”

The proceeds from that day went to Heart of the Horse Therapy Ranch in Clovis.

“We raised $1,000 for (owner) Guy Adams’ veterans program,” Alcorn said.

Close to 250 people showed up to Alta Sierra Intermediate School on March 22 to dance to 22 consecutive Zumba songs; $600 was raised for another local charity.

Alcorn allows veterans to participate in her fitness boot camp for free.

“What do we do for those kids? They’ve gone to war and seen crazy things. Or maybe they’ve been injured and become addicted to prescription drugs. They come back and they don’t have a leader, they don’t have a team, there’s nothing they’re involved in,” she explained. “When you go to boot camp, you learn camaraderie, you learn teamwork, you learn you can succeed with positive people around you. It’s empowering to be there in a group. I’ve had a number of veterans tell me ‘this makes a big difference in my life because it’s something to show up for.’”

Alcorn uses social media to spread the word about veteran suicide and the monthly Pound The Ground 22 fitness events.

“Once people come out, they want to come again. It just takes one share, one way or the other,” she said.

▪ Follow TeamJab Fitness Boot Camp on Facebook for upcoming events.

This story was originally published April 11, 2016 at 4:34 PM with the headline "Pound the Ground for veterans: grassroots suicide awareness campaign blossoms in Clovis/Fresno."