Inaugural VH+WA Freedom Ruck invites the community to walk 2.10 miles at Pinkerton Park on July 4th to honor Tennessee’s Veterans and fund no-cost, whole-person healthcare

FRANKLIN, Tenn. — On the morning of July 4th, before the cookouts and fireworks begin, 210 American flags will line a 2.10-mile route through Pinkerton Park — one for each of the 210 Tennessee Veterans who died by suicide in 2023, according to the most recent data from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.

The flags mark the route of the inaugural VH+WA Freedom Ruck, a community walk hosted by Veterans Health + Wellness Alliance (VH+WA), a Middle Tennessee nonprofit that covers the cost of integrative, whole-person healthcare for post-9/11 Veterans — at no cost to the veteran.

“This isn’t a race. It’s a remembrance,” said Janie Garber, Co-Founder of VH+WA. “We walk 2.10 miles — one-tenth of a mile for every Tennessee veteran we lost in 2023. And we walk for every veteran still carrying weight the system wasn’t built to help them set down.”

As America marks 250 years since the signing of the Declaration of Independence, VH+WA is inviting Franklin families to begin their Independence Day with purpose. The event is designed for all ages and fitness levels — participants can ruck with a weighted pack, walk, or stroll, and children, strollers, and leashed dogs are all welcome. The event concludes by 11:00 a.m., leaving the rest of the holiday free for celebration.

A brief ceremony including a singing of the National Anthem and America the Beautiful, will open the morning, followed by the walk. Free hot and iced coffee will be served by North Arrow Coffee, a veteran-owned café in Franklin, and each registered participant will receive a commemorative Freedom Ruck patch while supplies last.

WHY IT MATTERS

VA data shows 2,126 Tennessee Veterans died by suicide between 2012 and 2023, and suicide remains the second-leading cause of death among Veterans under 45 nationally. Many face long waits for care — new VA patients can wait more than 40 days for a first primary care appointment and more than 50 days for a first mental health appointment at some facilities.

VH+WA exists to close that gap, funding integrative, root-cause care for post-9/11 Veterans in Middle Tennessee — including mental wellness counseling, advanced diagnostics, brain SPECT scans, addiction counseling, life coaching, and dental work — with no co-pay, no waitlist, and no bureaucracy. Proceeds from the Freedom Ruck directly fund this care.

ABOUT VETERANS HEALTH + WELLNESS ALLIANCE

Veterans Health + Wellness Alliance is a Middle Tennessee nonprofit dedicated to providing integrative, wholeperson care for post-9/11 Tennessee Veterans. VH+WA covers the cost of care their insurance does not — restoring renewed hope and wholeness to the heroes in our own community. Learn more at vhwa.org.

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