12:00 AM - 12:00 AM
Vet to Vet TN (V2VT) has partnered with V13ION Motorcycle organization from Sale Creek, Tennessee (a rural community in East TN) to help us find and honor Vietnam Veterans in the motorcycle and tattoo community. V13ION number one goal is to raise awareness to number of suicides in America. V2VT trained numerous members of V13ION in Question, Persuade, Refer (QPR) suicide prevention in April 2016 where we identified 40% of the attendees were Veterans.
V13ION has their 6th annual rally and has partnered with V2VT to set up a commemorative booth at the rally. V13ION will provide free drinks and sandwiches, a Country band and trophies. V2VT will give Veterans a certificate of appreciation from V2VT, Veteran hats, bandanas, wrist bands, dog tags and handmade wooden crosses. And provide the attendees with CP materials. Last year, the event had over 2,000 attendees but we expect a little less this year. Of course the success of the program is predicated on the weather. Our event is outdoors.
Event included 750 attendees; 78 were Vietnam Veterans and three were spouses of Vietnam Veterans. Army - 40, Air Force - 2, Marines - 14, Navy 20 and 1 Merchant Marine.
V2VT had two tents setup; one for suicide prevention and one for the Commemoration, V2VT had Freddie Owens, Bob Hatley, Dean Tulford, Dan Smith, Don & Sheryn Davis, Elizabeth Carr, Shaydia Wayne, Karl Griffith, Chris Dooley, Mack Smith and Michael & Sandra McGrail as presenters. Bill Norton, President of VVA Chapter 203 from Chattanooga, TN also helped to present.
Department of Veterans Affairs Knoxville Outpatient Clinic's Suicide prevention coordinator, Debra Cohan provided V2VT with over 1,000 different suicide materials for the event.
Very few of the attendees were aware of the VWC.
Meet 1-4 objectives meet. Many of the Veterans approved taking photos of themselves.
Event turnout was very disappointing; 2015 rally had over 2,000 bikers. This year was under 1,000. Weather great, facility groun