Ruck for Remembrance returns to Lindsay

The Lindsay Legion is hosting its second annual Ruck for Remembrance this November. Participants will walk 22 km from the Fenelon Falls Legion to the Lindsay Legion via the Victoria Rail Trail, with an optional 35 lbs rucksack on their back. 

All funds raised are donated to the Lindsay Legion’s Poppy Fund, and the money goes towards initiatives like the Leave the Streets Behind program, providing support to homeless veterans and those at risk of homelessness. 

Last year, 22 people participated in the event, and $2,700 was donated. “We had people talking (to us) on the streets when we came off the trail going back to the Legion, so it was a good way to raise awareness,” said Richard Ovcharovich, event coordinator.

“We’re going to try to fundraise as much as we can and give it back to the poppy fund,” Ovcharovich said. “Whatever people are willing to give, we are grateful for.”

“The good thing about (Leave the Streets Behind) is that it helps any veterans from Canada and the Commonwealth of Allied Nations. Anyone who’s residing in Canada, who falls under that umbrella, as well as direct family members of veterans (qualifies),” Ovcharovich said. 

The program works to provide assistance with medical needs, assistive devices, emergency transportation, and financial assistance, including helping with first and last month’s rent and paying for medical needs such as dental care and eyeglasses.

Leave the Streets Behind, “is designed for the young veterans that come out of (wars) like Afghanistan. They come back into the community, and what skills do they have? A lot of the time when they join the military as an 18 or 19-year-old, they spend six, eight, 10 years in the service. All they train in is whatever their trade is, and that doesn’t equivalent into much on the civilian side,” said Legion President Colin Gilbank. 

Gilbank said while the legion doesn’t have exact numbers, many of the veterans in Kawartha Lakes are younger and benefit from programs like these. The Legion already makes a substantial donation to the program every year, and this event goes towards that donation. 

Ovcharovich said he’s found Kawartha Lakes as a whole to be supportive of the Legion, and they’re grateful for every donation received, saying it makes a real impact. 

“Service members sacrifice a lot of their personal life, and their families sacrifice a lot. You don’t know if someone will come out with an injury, disability, a traumatic event, or even just have difficulty transitioning back to civilian life. It’s a way to support those who sacrifice a lot for us, and to come together as a community where we look after one another.”

The walk will take place on Sunday, Nov. 8 at 10 a.m. For more information, go to the Lindsay Legion’s Facebook page.