Dara Oliver of Florida is completing 250 miles and hours of fitness, community service and wellness to support her Legion Family and community.
When The American Legion’s USA 250 Challenge launched last July in celebration of America’s 250th birthday, Dara Oliver liked that participants could do one or all three of the activities – fitness, wellness and community service – for 250 miles or hours.
“For me, it’s just my nature that I’m like, ‘Oh, I’m going to do all of them’,” said Oliver, a member of American Legion Auxiliary Unit 219 in Fruitland Park, Fla.
She started by committing to 250 miles a month of fitness, a challenge Oliver knew she could fulfill after cycling for 300 miles in October for the American Cancer Society 300 Mile Challenge. “I looked at the USA 250 Challenge and I knew I could do 250 miles every month.”
To accumulate 250 miles, Oliver is cycling outdoors or indoors on her Peloton, walking and jogging. She even completed her first 5K in December.
“I'll split it up as long as I accumulate 250 miles, whether it's walking or jogging or biking or on the Peloton,” Oliver said. “I just wanted to make sure that I challenge myself.”
As the Department of Florida’s Auxiliary Children & Youth chairwoman, Oliver collected and delivered 250 shoes and blankets to the John Hopkins All Children’s Hospital in St. Petersburg for her community service. And for wellness, Oliver’s goal is to share with 250 people who The American Legion Family is and the benefits of being a member.
“I’m always recruiting for the entire Legion Family,” said Oliver, who shares about youth scholarships and programs like Boys State and Girls State, membership discount benefits, and how “We help children and youth, we help our veterans, we help our military and their families.”
She also always carries Legion Family membership applications with her Auxiliary business card stapled to them. “I tell people to give me a call, I would love to sit down and talk with you over coffee or dinner about the Legion Family. So I’m trying to talk with at least 250 people about the Auxiliary, the Legion and the Sons.”
Oliver is sharing her USA 250 Challenge activities on her Facebook page to inspire others to join the challenge.
You can register for the USA 250 Challenge here for $30, which supports The American Legion Veterans & Children Foundation. The foundation provides Temporary Financial Assistance grants to support minor children of active duty servicemembers and American Legion members in times of need, and provides training for accredited American Legion service officers who assist disabled veterans for free with accessing VA health care benefits.
Share your USA 250 Challenge story with The American Legion by emailing magazine@legion.org or visiting legionown.org and sharing under the USA 250 Challenge category.
- USA250 Challenge