PALMER LAKE, Colorado — A group of veterans, active duty military, and civilian volunteers are taking part in an 18-hour, 50-mile ruck march through the Pikes Peak Region. 50 For The Fallen is a non-profit organization started by a local Green Beret with a mission of supporting veterans’ mental health.
“We send veterans to out-patient mental health, and by doing that we stop a cycle of abuse and suicide that is plaguing our military,” explained founder Chad Conley.
The concept started during the pandemic. Conley connected virtually with friends around the globe on Memorial Day while simultaneously ruck marching.
“We’d all FaceTime and get together and it was a way to have community.”
As for the distance, nearly two marathons, Conley said he took inspiration from a scene in the film Cool Hand Luke.
“Talking to a buddy, I was like, I gotta do 50 because Newman ate 50 eggs.”
The initial ruck led to additional marches raising money for military charities and the creation of a formal non-profit organization. Participants have marched in New York City on the 20th anniversary of 9/11, and in Hawaii on the anniversary of Pearl Harbor.
Friday’s ruck is the 7th official event and one of four scheduled in 2023.
The team left Palmer Lake at noon Friday and will end at 6:00 a.m. Saturday at Fort Carson to coincide with the Spartan Games.
Participants and sponsors are passionate in their support for the group’s mission.
“Chad was on KILO talking about 50 For The Fallen, and I said man I hope he's there when I walk through because I'd love to chat with him,” recalled Curtis Bell of Bell Brother’s Brewing.
The two met last week at the radio station and Conley shared a need for a beer sponsor. Bell, who grew up in a military family, jumped at the chance.
“He said come on out. I said done. I’ll be here this Friday for the kickoff,” Bell recalled.
Chris Spahn is launching a Colorado Springs location for the health food and meal prep franchise Clean Eatz. He and his business partner were looking for a military charity to support.
“After hearing the story, and then honestly, meeting Chad and the backbone of the organization, we didn’t think that there was a better one that we could start off with.”
Army veteran Micah Bartlett is the lead distiller at Distillery 291. He met Conley when he was looking for a venue to host a send-off celebration for the ruck in New York City.
“So, when I heard that 50 For The Fallen is about remembering them, but also for us that did make it home where we are still dealing with some of the issues that we carried back, that really inspired my heart and was just like man, I’ve got to get involved with this,” he said.
While the mission supports veterans’ mental health, Conley said the journey itself can be therapeutic for participants.
"I like to say, we find our why,” he said. “You took this time away to reconnect with yourself and find out what's going on within you, and at around mile 30-something, the ego goes away and you're really going to be able to break down and say, this is what I'm going through and these people around me, they're here to help me carry the load."
Visit 50ftf.org to learn more about future events. And follow their progress on Instagram @50_for_the_fallen.
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