Operation Iron Ruck raises awareness of veteran suicide
Operation Iron Ruck brings together student veterans, veteran alumni and ROTC members from the University of Alabama and Auburn University who raise awareness of veteran suicide and money for prevention.
Earlier this week, Gov. Kay Ivey declared today as Iron Ruck Day in the state of Alabama.
Today, the group set off on a 151-mile journey across the state, in which they will travel from Jordan-Hare Stadium in Auburn to Saban Field at Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa. Each year, participants walk from the away team’s stadium to the home team’s stadium in advance of the Iron Bowl.
Along with the game ball carried to the home team’s stadium, they also carry 22 pounds of donated materials to represent the estimated 22 veterans who die by suicide every day.
The annual ruck was founded in 2018 by student veterans from UA and AU.
Watch the video above from Action 8’s Chief Photographer Bill Gill, who followed the group on its first leg of travel from Auburn to Tallassee.
LEARN MORE ABOUT OPERATION IRON RUCK
