History

The Hike

In early 2016, 22 2 None began with the idea of bringing veterans back together after their time in service. Our founders, Dave Wenkel and Ben Gunderson, believed that gathering veterans would rekindle the camaraderie they once had while serving. It was during this time that the statistic of 22 veterans completing suicide each day became more widely known. Dave and Ben decided then that their focus needed to shift from simply reconnecting with veterans, to saving veteran lives, and the idea for a suicide awareness hike was born.

On October 22nd, 2016, we held our first hike. We decided on 22 miles to signify the 22 veterans lost to suicide each day. Joined by over 100 veterans and civilian supporters, our hike started in Kewadin, MI and ended at Bryant Park in Traverse City, MI. The emotions at the finish were overwhelming as we were greeted not only by friends, family, and supporters, but with bagpipes and drums as well.

Crossing the finish line was truly the beginning of our journey to help struggling veterans Fight The Fight Within.

Fighting the Fight Within

22 2 None was founded not only to raise awareness about the fact that an average of 22 veterans are committing suicide every day, but also to come alongside veterans in need and help them out with their daily struggles - things that start to pile up and weigh on them that can eventually bring their spirit down and may make them start to lose hope. We want to help relieve that stress.

We are committed to being available at any time for our veterans, night and day, especially when someone might be struggling and doesn’t know what to do or who to talk to. We can be that sounding voice for them to make sure that they understand that everything is okay, and we will get through this together.

Community Connections

As we continue to expand into our Northern Michigan community in as many ways as we can, our hope is to bring camaraderie between veterans and those around them. Since our founding, we have teamed up with local businesses for fundraising events, sponsored awareness hikes, cookouts, and even learned ballroom dancing, helping us spread awareness to a wider platform while creating a unique and inviting experience for everyone.

We want to make sure that everyone is aware that something can be done to bring the number of suicides down in our veteran community, rather than hiding it or pretending it doesn’t exist. It is real, and together we can do something about it.

22 2 NONE Board

For any reason at all, contact us, or message us on Facebook.

Our board is compiled of a variety of veterans, all with different backgrounds, branch services and experiences. 

We encourage you to contact whom you feel you would connect most comfortably with. You may contact them directly via Facebook by clicking their profile below, or inquire further by emailing us at info@222none.org.

Belay my last barracks

In July of 2020 we purchased the former South Boardman Elementary School and are now bringing it back to life as Belay My Last Barracks. The Barracks will not only serve as transitional housing and a community outreach center for veterans and their families, but as a place for new beginnings.

It takes many hands and it is our hope to build this mission with community members and together give back to and support our veterans.

About the Name

“Belay My Last” is a term used in the military which means to cancel the request or command last given, or simply stop what you were doing and stand by for new orders.

For veterans that may be thinking about going down the path of despair or already in a rut, we want them to Belay My Last—Belay Their Last, and get ahold of us, or get a hold of someone in the veteran community they can reach out to and talk to. We want them to give up that thought of giving up, we want them to just stop and start over, find a new direction to go in.

Current Focus

Currently we are focused on getting the Barracks up and running so that we can engage with veterans, their families, and the community. Our hope is to have events, meals training, and activities occurring on a regular basis. Building relationships and community is one aspect of supporting each other through a transitional time. Creating space for veterans to enjoy community together is an important building block. As we get the building active, we will be working on the process of learning about the many requirements for converting classrooms to apartments and the needed permits, inspections, safety code requirements needed in order to develop our plan for moving ahead.

After meeting to inspect the building and share ideas on how best to transform the building, we decided to create a duplex allowing two veterans or veteran families to utilize the space created. We are in the beginning stages, but we are very excited to be moving forward.

Current Programs

We are continuing to expand the programs offered to our veterans across Northern Michigan. Just as life and the struggles we may come across are ever-changing, so too is the objective of the Barracks - the programs we develop are driven by what the veteran community would like to see, because there is no one answer to solve life’s problems.

Keep up to date with upcoming events via social media, our events calendar, or by emailing us.