22 Straight Hours of Hockey to Raise Awareness for Veteran Suicide

Hockey Heels 22 Event

• 🏒 Hockey Heels 22 is an annual event where local athletes play hockey for 22 consecutive hours.
• 🎯 The event aims to raise awareness for suicide among veterans, with 22 veterans dying by suicide daily.
• 💰 Funds raised support nonprofit veteran organizations, including the Lightning Warriors Hockey Program, Mission Roll Call, and the Malone Family Foundation.

The Lightning Warriors Organization

• 🤝 The Lightning Warriors is a local nonprofit hockey organization composed of disabled veterans, active duty members, and first responders.
• 💡 Their mission is to support veterans at risk by being there for them before they enter a dark place.
• 🌍 The organization plays teams from across the state in 17 games over the 22-hour period.

Origin of the Event

• 🧠 The idea for Hockey Heels 22 was conceived by Air Force veteran Joe Guz, inspired by a similar 11-day power play event for cancer research.
• 🇺🇸 Upon moving to Florida and learning about the 22 veteran suicides per day statistic, Guz adapted the concept to raise awareness for this cause.

Impact and Fundraising

• 🎗️ Pictures of veterans who died by suicide surround the rink, serving as a constant reminder of the cause.
• 📞 Organizers emphasize that they would rather receive a call at any hour from a veteran in distress than hear tragic news the next day.
• 📈 As of noon on Sunday, the event had raised approximately $65,000.
• 📢 The larger the event becomes, the wider the message of support and awareness can spread.