BLOOMSBURG, Pa. -- Students and armed forces members at Bloomsburg University are walking to raise awareness. Men and women who belong to the Bloomsburg University Student Veterans Association (BUSVA) are marching to raise awareness about a staggering statistic.
"The statistics are there are 22 veterans that commit suicide every day and the goal is to bring it down to zero, so we walk 22 miles to bring awareness," said BUSVA president Savhanna Paul.
Every four laps around the quad equals one mile and gets the students one step closer to their goal of 22 miles.
This is the sixth year that the student group at Bloomsburg has held the walk.
"It really hits home, especially knowing people that have been lost to that number. Currently serving in the Guard myself, I know soldiers that have committed suicide while still in and it is not an easy process," said Zeke Saleh, social media chair.
"It's a shame, it's so sad and I feel so sorry for those people because they fought so hard and so long, and after they come home that fight continues in ways that we don't always see or understand," said Jenna Lutz, BUSVA vice president.
The students hope to raise $2,200. The money will be donated to the National Alliance's campaign to end veteran suicide. Students involved said they will walk the 22 miles even if they do not reach their donation goal.
"Our goal is to raise $100 per mile. We haven't reached our goal for that amount this year but we will continue to walk the 22 miles to raise awareness," Paul said.
The group is still asking for donations to help reach that goal. If you'd like to donate, you can visit the Bloomsburg University Student Veteran Association's GoFundMe page.