'Walk for Veterans' set for Kansas City

'Walk for Veterans' set for Kansas City

The American Legion will hold a Walk for Veterans and Benefits Fair at the World War I Memorial & Museum in Kansas City on Oct. 3, 2015. Leading the Walk will be American Legion National Commander Dale Barnett and Department of Missouri Commander George Scarborough.

“The purpose of this Walk is to raise public awareness about the crucial issues facing America’s veterans and their families,"Scarborough said. “An estimated 22 veterans a day commit suicide. Traumatic brain injuries have become a signature wound of the Global War on Terrorism and up to 20 percent of the men and women who served in Iraq or Afghanistan are believed to experience post traumatic stress disorder. Veterans still have difficulty receiving health care in a timely manner and many have been waiting years to have their disability claims resolved. We owe it to those who served our country to never forget their sacrifice and devotion. We are walking for those who marched for us.”

The Walk will begin at 9 a.m. on Saturday. The length of the walk is 5 kilometers and will start on the north side of the World War I Memorial and Museum located at 100 W. 26th Street, Kansas City, Miss. It will wind through the museum grounds and end back on the north side.

All of the proceeds will benefit The American Legion National Emergency Fund, which has provided more than $8 million of assistance to American Legion family members and posts that have been impacted by natural disasters in communities across the country since 1969.

The registration fee for the walk is $20.00 and will include a t-shirt and lapel/hat pin. There is no charge to attend the Benefits Fair which will start at 10:30 a.m. or immediately after the walk has concluded. Thirty agencies which provide services to veterans have been invited to set up information and or services booths. There will also be activities for children.

For more information about The American Legion Walk for Veterans or to register, please visit: www.missourilegion.org or call (573) 893-2353. You may also register at the day of the event.