The annual American Legion program that promotes fitness and wellness stokes good-natured family rivalry, connects them to community and purpose.
The King family rivalry has set grandsons against their grandfather in a quest to be the first in their clan to walk 100 miles.
Michael King, age 10, and Will King, age 9, are both lifelong Sons of The American Legion (SAL) members, and compete against their mom, Legionnaire Mindy King; their grandfather, SAL member Michael Saindon; and their grandmother Kathy and aunt Tracy Saindon, both Auxiliary members. Mindy is an Army veteran, and her husband, Will, is an active-duty servicemember. The family is stationed in Colorado Springs, Colo.
This is the second time the family is participating in 100 Miles for Hope, a fitness/wellness event in which participants log 100 miles by Labor Day as they fundraise for The American Legion Veterans & Children Foundation. All proceeds from registrations and donations go directly to supporting disabled veterans and military families. (Learn more and register for the third annual challenge here.)
The family’s first competition was an upset.
“The biggest shock was when my dad beat the boys to his 100 miles,” Mindy said. “And the boys were just blown away by (their) grandpa. … It did also prompt us to get them watches that had trackers for all the random running around they do.”
They had only been counting their miles on outings and walks — not playing.
“So when this popped up again, the boys asked, ‘Are Grandma and Grandpa going to do it? ‘We have to beat Grandpa this time.’”
The family uses a spreadsheet Michael Saindon created with each of their names and miles.
“It shows who’s in the lead,” Mindy said.
“It's always a lot of fun to compete with our grandparents and with our aunt,” Michael King said.
Will they beat their grandpa this year?
“Last year we didn't, but this year? Eh, 50/50,” Michael King said.
However, the fundraising is collaborative, rather than competitive.
“People are definitely more willing to donate to the boys. They kind of have that cuteness factor,” Mindy said.
Competition aside, one important aspect for Mindy is the opportunity to connect generations — the Saindons live in Kansas — while the Kings are hundreds of miles away.
“It's good, constant communication with grandma and grandpa, especially since we don't live close,” Mindy said.
Mindy and the boys walk their miles in the neighborhood some days, and the event gives the family a good reason to get out and see Colorado’s many state parks — free to those with a disabled veteran license plate.
“The reason why I want to do (100 Miles for Hope) is because we get to actually go out on different parks and wander off on different trails,” Will said.
A deeper meaning behind the fitness and fun fuels the family’s participation, too.
As an Army veteran married to an active duty servicemember — they have a combined seven deployments — Mindy has seen how unexpected hardships can leave military families in financial gaps.
When they were stationed at Fort Riley in Kansas, a young dual-military family “lost everything” in a house fire, she said.
“Insurance was giving them a whole big runaround," she said, so she reached out to her hometown post in Derby. Within a day, she had a check "just to get them started.”
Mindy said insurance would eventually cover much of what was lost, but in the meantime, the husband was pending deployment, the wife was preparing to go to the National Training Center, and all their gear was gone. When Mindy delivered the check, she said, the wife “... just broke down crying because … it was an immediate response. It wasn't something that was an application that took two weeks to go through.
“I've seen how organizations like The American Legion can help in those circumstances, without having all the red tape to go through. That's huge, especially for our military families or those who’ve served, who may find themselves in a sudden, tough situation.”
As a former NCO, Mindy understands the importance of taking care of soldiers while they’re in service and after they get out, a lesson she imparts to her two boys as part of their homeschool curriculum.
100 Miles for Hope is one example.
“With what we've been blessed (with), we have the ability to bless others. That's something that’s very important for them to carry on, to me, as they get older,” Mindy said. “All it takes is one person doing something to make a difference to somebody. … Making that little hiccup in a path for somebody that can adjust the path and can completely change things in ways you may never know.”
- 100 Miles