Do the #22 Push up social media challenge to support veterans
Richfield, MN - There's a powerful social media challenge taking the Internet by storm- this time bringing awareness to the veteran suicide epidemic. The 22 Push Up Challenge was created by the group 22KILL, whose mission is to raise funds and build a community of support for veterans, while educating the public about PTSD and mental illness. The number 22 represents the number of veterans killed by suicide in our country every day.
To participate, you film yourself doing 22 push ups for 22 days and post each video to social media, like firefighter Brian Wienholz .Every time you post, you challenge another friend and include #22KILL. The goal is to reach a combined 22 million push ups, so it doesn't matter if you can't do 22 in a row, because every effort counts. It brings new eyes to the issue and makes sure our struggling veterans aren't forgotten.
Wienholz explains, "Sometimes you just don't feel there's anything you can really do about it. But everybody can do pushups.”
Supporters can also volunteer in their communities or donate to 22 KILL, which partners with groups to provide mental health treatment and counseling for veterans and their families. This summer, let’s show our support to veterans, one push up at a time.