CANTON, Mich. – On this Veterans Day, a Westland man is raising awareness about veteran suicide.
One local man, Steve Schrieber, is running in honor of the veterans we’ve lost to suicide.
He is running for 22 hours on Nov. 11, one mile every hour over at Heritage Park in Canton.
It is estimated that 22 veterans die by suicide each day.
Schrieber said in an interview with Local 4, veterans,, “When I am getting tired, what I immediately start thinking is, I can’t quit. I’m running for the people who can’t run. I’m running to represent the people who are fighting a daily struggle, and I don’t want them to quit, and I can’t quit.” “If it touches one person, great. If it touches one a day, even better. And if it can touch 22 a day, then we’re making progress”.
He is not a veteran himself, but he comes from a military family.
His sister is retired US Air Force, his father was in the Army, and his grandfather was a Merchant Marine.
Schrieber was astounded by the number of veterans who returned from combat only to die by suicide.
Last May, he launched his non-profit called “Everyone Needs a Steve,” raising awareness about veteran suicide and funding resources outside of the VA.
In its first year, the charity raised $5,000 and this year so far, they’ve raised $3,500.
Schrieber said, “When I am getting tired, what I immediately start thinking is, I can’t quit. I’m running for the people who can’t run. I’m running to represent the people who are fighting a daily struggle, and I don’t want them to quit, and I can’t quit.”
For more information, go to the Everyone Needs a Steve website.