Ruck march to benefit vets

HARLINGEN — Help local ruckers carry the load.

Roadrunner Ruckers of South Texas is holding a canned food drive, on their backs.

The rucking group usually walks carrying weighted rucksacks, but tomorrow, the weight will be coming from canned foods.

The local rucking group is asking residents to join them and purchase canned goods and hygiene products from H-E-B Sunday morning and ruck with them to the Veterans Drop-in center to donate the food.

Ruckers and participants will meet at the H-E-B in Harlingen on Morgan Boulevard and ruck the one mile to the Veterans Center with a county constable escort.

Rob Cavazos, one of the founders of the rucking group, said the nonprofit organization tries its best to give back to the community.

Once a week, the committee meets to discuss fundraising events for organizations they care about.

Cavazos said he was moved to do the canned food drive after seeing the empty food pantry in the veteran’s center.

“There is a need to help with our homeless veterans,” Cavazos said. “I was kind of disappointed when I saw they didn’t have anything. It’s something we take real personally with our team.”

Cavazos said the majority of people wait to donate food toward the end of the year around the holidays, but during the rest of the year, donations are lacking.

“We try to do whatever we can that is positive for our community,” Cavazos said. “The food pantry for veterans is empty and we saw that they needed help.”

Cavazos said the ruck will be shorter than the groups normal rucking or weighted walking distances.

“It’s a friendly ruck,” Cavazos said. “It’s real kid friendly. We usually ruck anywhere from six to 20 miles.”

In addition to the ruck, the group has placed collection bins in three different locations for residents to drop off donations including Sam’s Club, U.S. Border Patrol Office and McCoy’s Building Supply.