Encouraging Healthy Living and Supporting Homeless Veterans with the 14th Annual VA 2K Walk and Roll

 Each year, the purpose of this event is to inspire VA employees and community members to incorporate healthy activity into their workday while also raising funds and collecting items to help struggling and homeless Veterans. 

Most are aware that activity is important for our health. Despite this awareness, recent statistics show that 82% of people do not get enough physical activity. In a society that is more sedentary than ever before, it is incredibly important to prioritize finding time for movement. Physical activity lowers risk of early death, coronary artery disease, stroke, high blood pressure, Type 2 Diabetes, certain cancers, and falls. There are also changes that happen in your brain when you are active, such as an increase in certain brain chemicals that help you feel happier, more relaxed, and less anxious. While you may think that you don’t have time to step away from work or another task to exercise, you will likely return to that task refreshed and more productive than you would have been otherwise.

The next question is how do we go about prioritizing activity in our day-to-day lives? The annual VA 2K event is a great way to get started! You will feel great after getting out of the office, getting some steps in, building relationships with other participants, and helping Veterans!  

The VA 2K is also a great event for connecting Veterans and caregivers to the many departments and services that we offer within the VA 2K Healthcare System. The Health Fair component of the VA 2K is a great opportunity to learn about various departments and resources that are available to Veterans. We expect to have over 20 organizations present to share information this year.

Last, but certainly not least, providing support to local Veterans through donations is a primary focus of this event. Did you know that more than 49 million people in America utilized food banks and community organizations for food/necessities in 2022? Unfortunately, the number of food insecure individuals has been increasing the past several years. Food security is a top priority for the Department of Veterans Affairs. Within the Marion VA Healthcare system, we have food pantries at each clinic. We rely on donations to keep these pantries stocked and donations collected during the VA 2K allow us to continue to provide for our Veterans. Since 2011, more than $2.7 million in donations have been raised nationally to help homeless and struggling Veterans. Last year, we received a total of $4,348 in donations at our local events. While this is a number to be proud of, I think we can top it this year! 

VA 2K participants are encouraged to bring voluntary donations such as clothing, toiletries, backpacks, non-perishable food, or bottled water. Donations will then be distributed to local homeless Veterans and/or utilized in our VA food pantries. Donations will be collected at the main events in Marion, IL and Evansville, IN as well as at each clinic within the Marion VA Healthcare System:

• Marion, IL
• Carbondale, IL
• Effingham, IL
• Evansville, IN
• Harrisburg, IL
• Madisonville, KY
• Mayfield, KY
• Mount Vernon, IL
• Owensboro, KY
• Paducah, KY
• Vincennes, IN

Monetary donations can also be sent through this link: Pay.gov - VA Heartland Network: VISN 15 Donation Form

• Facility: Marion VA Medical Center
• Program for Donation: Food Pantry

This year, the VA2K Walk and Roll event will be held in-person on Thursday, May 16 from 11 am to 2 pm at the campuses of Marion and Evansville. If you have questions, or if you are a community group interested in participating in the event, contact the Center for Development and Civic Engagement  (CDCE) at 618-993-4121, or by emailing the coordination team at vhamrnva2k@va.gov.