Operation Obstacle will benefit the Richland Student Veterans Resource Center during Veterans Suicide Prevention Month
In observance of Veterans Suicide Prevention Month in September, the U.S. Department of
Veteran’s Affairs Suicide Prevention Team and Richland Community College present the
Second Annual Operation Obstacle: The Race to End Veteran Suicide. This timed, two-mile
obstacle course will be held on Richland’s campus on Saturday,September 24, 2022, beginning
at 10am at the Workforce Development Institute.
“VA Illiana’s Suicide Prevention Team’s collaboration with the Richland Community College
Fitness Center brings community awareness to the 17 Veterans that die each day by suicide
and gives opportunity for our Suicide Prevention Team to make connections with the
community, Service Members, Veterans, and their families. The VA can’t do it alone. We need
our community partners like Richland Community College to help us care for our Veterans and
to intervene when someone is in distress,” according to Hannah Jordan, Licensed Clinical
Social Worker and a Suicide Prevention Case Manager for VA Illiana.
The event is open to the public along with Richland students and employees taking part in the
race and participating as volunteers. Fun physical obstacles, finishers medals, goodie bags and
snacks/water will be available for all finishers. Also, trophies will be awarded to the top 3 male &
female finishers. There will be a brief opening Veterans honorary ceremony with the
presentation of the flag, national anthem and remarks from the Suicide Prevention Team.
Proceeds will support Richland Community College’s Student Veteran’s Resource Center to
help student Veterans and Servicemembers overcome financial obstacles to education.
There are multiple ways to get access and get registerd for the event: Say “Operation Obstacle
2022” on your smart phone and open the link,or go to www.richland.edu/OperationObstacle/.
There is also an option to donate or support a runner as well.
The Richland Veteran’s Student Resource Center was opened in 2019 and serves as a
comfortable space for Veteran students to study, relax, communicate, and collaborate.
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