Skate for the 22 Foundation

Story

March 10, 2020

Each issue, the editorial staff of Military Embedded Systems will highlight a different charitable organization that benefits the military, veterans, and their families. We are honored to cover the technology that protects those who protect us every day. To back that up, our parent company – OpenSystems Media – will make a donation to every group we showcase on this page.

This issue we are highlighting Skate for the 22 Foundation, an East Coast-based (and growing) organization that forms and runs hockey leagues for veterans who may be grappling with post-military service civilian reentry issues. The group gets its name from the statistic that each day, 22 U.S. veterans are lost to suicide.

According to the organization, its aim is to create a community of veterans through the sport of ice hockey to help these people who served to understand and ultimately combat the stresses detrimental to a healthy mental and physical state. Such a community can raise awareness for and reduce the epidemic of veteran suicide.

Skate for the 22 was founded in 2015 by U.S. Army and Air Force veteran Bobby Colliton, who credits “Sunday night mens’ league hockey” for helping him through a difficult post-service transition. The group organizes charity games, hosts skills clinics and practices, runs scrimmages and learn-to-play events, and works with equipment companies and adult programs to defray costs.

Colliton and fellow vet Charlie Bobbish have laid out a three-fold mission for the organization: to provide a team-based hockey environment to veterans at no cost; to provide suicide awareness and prevention, not only to veterans and their families, but also the community at large; and to assist families of veterans who take their own lives or are disabled by depression.

For more information on the Skate for the 22 Foundation, please visit https://skateforthe22.org/.