By: Ryan Duey
Photos Courtesy of Castle on a Hill Productions
Castle on a Hill Productions will host two networking events for veterans, service providers, nonprofit organizations, and mental health leaders, along with a viewing of the documentary “Saving 22” at the Junction City American Legion on Friday, July 11th, and at the Manhattan American Legion on Saturday, July 12th.
“Saving 22,” titled after the average number of veterans who take their own lives daily, is an effort to raise awareness and prevent Veteran Suicide. Gary Otte, Veteran and “Saving 22” Director, said the documentary encompasses problems veterans go through when leaving the military, namely, suicide.
“There’s a lot of difficulty that veterans face when they get out of the military.”
“There is a lack of camaraderie, there’s a lot of loneliness, and the training that soldiers are trained to do in order to be able to jump at a moment’s notice, ready to either defend or attack, you always have to be on the ready.”
“When they come back, everything is different, and there’s no way to relate to anybody. There’s that loneliness, there’s a lot of pain, and the only thing they see as a solution is death.”
In Junction City, the networking event will begin at 4:00 p.m. with the showing at 7:00 p.m. In Manhattan, the event will begin at 2:00 p.m. with the showing at 4:00 p.m. Otte said the goal of these events is to get people together, in hopes of breaking the stigma and building a network of support.
“What I want to do is create a networking environment. I want people to watch the movie; in the movie, I show pain, but I also show hope.”
“I want service providers, I want mental health professionals, I want business and community leaders all being there together.”
“That way, when they hear of a veteran who’s going through issues, that’s crashing, or having some difficulty, I want people to be on the ready.”
“I ultimately want to grow a network of people who understand they’re going through this and are like, ‘okay, you’re struggling, I know how to help.’”
Otte hopes these networking events will help bridge the gap and build a network of support across the state, offering support and understanding to veterans across Kansas. An RSVP and ticket purchase are required, with all proceeds going to help veterans. For more information on this powerful documentary, visit https://www.acastleonahillproductions.com/saving-22-documentary
