ROCHESTER, N.Y. — Veteran suicide is a subject many people don’t often think about and even fewer talk about. One Rochester resident is hoping to combat this issue step by step.

Residents of Rochester on Sunday were getting ready for an afternoon walk. However, this walk was no ordinary stroll, but a tradition that began 10 years ago for Stop the 22 a Day founder David Lippa.

What You Need To Know

  • On average, 22 veterans die by suicide every day, according to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs

  • VFW Post 4658 partners with Stop the 22 a Day to bring awareness and raise funds for military families in need of services

  • Residents spread awareness through the Stop 22 Walkathon for the 22 veterans, on the 22nd of September, with 22 minutes of walking at precisely 2:22 p.m.

“It was to help our veterans,” Lippa said. “I stood at the flag line with. They were suffering from PTSD and wanted to bring more awareness to them.”

He is bringing awareness to PTSD-related suicides within the military through his services, Stop the 22 a Day.

“I never thought that I'd be giving up every weekend,” Lippa said. “There's a need to be out in public with people that are struggling from some type of mental health, anxiety, depression and PTSD.”

Veterans showed up for events like the Stop 22 walk-a-thon alongside Greece VFW Post 4658.

“If it wasn't for veterans, you wouldn't have any freedoms and veterans gave up their lives,” Greece VFW Post 4658 Commander Sam Meleca said. “And even if they came back, they're giving up their lives by committing suicide. We should never let that happen in this country. We should honor our veterans. We should respect them and take care of them.”

They are spreading awareness for the 22 veterans, on the 22nd of September, with 22 minutes of walking at precisely 2:22 p.m.

“Having struggles that could become war wounds, the war wounds,” Greece VFW Post 4658 service officer Daniel Perna said. “And they struggle with these war wounds and hard for them to get over. And sometimes they just can't they can't get through them. And knowing the other people, they're in the same situation can turn around and help them heal from, you know, from those tragedies.”

It's a national campaign that hits close to home for many.

“I'm a wounded veteran myself, and then I myself can turn around and relate to his invisible injuries,” Perna said.

“We got shirts to say, ‘Do your buddy check,'” Meleca said. “You know, you got a friend who's in a service. You talk to them. If they've got a problem, talk to them.”

It's one of the many reasons why Lippa started his mission.

“Eight years ago, I lost my best friend who was a federal agent in New York City, and I jumped all in to going to more events and booked all year round to basically help bring awareness of veteran suicide and first responder suicide,” Lippa said.

Each step becomes a reminder.

“It's mentally exhausting,” Lippa said. “I listen to all these stories and I put myself in their place. I struggle every day. On June 9, 2016. Between 1:30 and 1:43. I live that every day. Who's checking in on the person that checks in on everybody else? So, I do have a pretty good group of people that do check in on me.”

It's a message for veterans who continue to fight for this country and themselves.

“A lot of times they just want people to be heard and they want to be heard without saying, well, you shouldn't feel that way or you shouldn't feel this way,” Lippa said. “I can't tell you how to feel, but I'll be there to listen.”