Stop Soldier Suicide in Memory of SGT Vlady

We are running the Detroit Free Press Marathon & Half Marathon to Stop Soldier Suicide…in honor of our best friend/son.

Best friend Zachary Foor - full marathon & Mom Lisa Calice - half marathon.

My name is Lisa, and a little over a year ago I never would have imagined I would be making this plea for this cause. The unimaginable happened and I lost my son, a Flight Medic in the U.S Army, to suicide. He was a son, husband, father, brother, grandson, nephew and a friend to many. Suicide is uncomfortable to talk about, and as a society we haven’t been very successful in helping those contemplating it or those families who are dealing with it. I’ve learned since my son died, that literally no one wants to talk about this topic. But talk we must if this is ever going to change for the better. Suicide rates in our young people are very high. My son was only 26 years old. To make matters worse, military and veteran suicide rates are twice as high as the civilian population.

Zachary invited me to run this race with him so that we can support each other, as well as others like his friend - my son.  I accepted this challenge because of the challenge those contemplating suicide face every day. 

I am running the Detroit Free Press Half Marathon because I want to make a difference; I want to do something about this. I want to save a life. I hope  to raise awareness and to start a conversation so that someone else won’t have to lose their loved one to suicide. Running has helped me and I know it’s helped Zachary too. It’s helped me to face my own trauma, grief and isolation that I continue to experience in losing my son so tragically. The pain will never go away, however, I can change the story for someone else. I can contribute my voice, my efforts, the miles I run, and my unfailing support to a cause I know my son would have believed in. His entire life, he wanted to save people, and in his honor and memory, I hope to do the same.

Please join us in making a difference. We are raising money to benefit Stop Soldier Suicide. We are requesting a $26.00 donation, but please know that any donation will help make an impact. Thanks in advance for your contribution to this cause that means so much to us, and we know this is a cause Vlady would have appreciated.

More information about Stop Soldier Suicide: 

“Stop Soldier Suicide is on a mission to drive veteran suicide rates down to civilian parity by 2030. We will accomplish this mission through strategic partnerships, industry-leading suicide assessment tools, and a disruptive high-touch, high-frequency case management model that is the first of its kind in the veteran services field. We are the only organization in the nation with the formula and momentum to reduce veteran suicide at a systems level.”

Even if you are unable to donate, please talk about this cause to get the word out. Please cheer us on in the race and help us to save others. My hope is that together we can save a life. Saving even one life will make this all worthwhile.