INDIANAPOLIS — From Nov. 9 – 11, 150 participants descended on Indianapolis for a Veteran’s Day extreme fitness challenge event lead by decorated combat Veterans of Special Operations through a national “rucking” network. The participants worked to complete military style missions, including clearing a half mile segment of the White River bank of invasive trees and brush, to increase view and restore access to one of Indy’s greatest assets.
The Special Operations Cadre, through GoRuck events, honored America’s veterans as they lead tasks teaching participants how to overcome adversity as individuals and as teammates.
On Friday, 40 participants were tested for 24 hours with rigorous, physical work using handsaws; another 50 started Saturday evening. The final group of 60 had a six-hour event test.
Participants cleared trees growing in violation of levee safety standards under the concrete lip of a levee along Near West Indy’s west bank of White River from New York St. bridge to 10th St. bridge. They also cleared a log jam and repurposed logs as border markers for the trail on an old service road set to be revitalized as a Near West Nature Trail between River Station Landing and 16th St. Dam on the west bank of the White River in Near West Indy’s Haughville neighborhood.
Nearby residents stepped up to support the special forces community service event by picking up and bagging the debris and trash revealed during the clearing.
This inaugural event is expected to inspire a regular deployment of assistance for White River maintenance in the high-need Near West river shoreline, to accelerate much needed clean up and to establish a Nature Trail and normalized use at several access points identified as most desired by the Near West community.
