Joel David Goodwin 'Climb for US' Memorial Challenge

Joel David Goodwin 'Climb for US' Memorial Challenge

The idea is to honor David, and all veterans, with an endurance challenge that is significant enough to gather attention and raise the funding to help AIM provide support to our veterans and our communities.

Like a 10k run or 50-mile bike ride, it’s a pledge drive. Unlike those, we’re looking for participants at any age or skill level willing to commit to any number of climbs that represent a safe challenge for you. The climbs may be indoors, outdoors, upstairs, up a ramp, a combination.

The campaign begins on May 10th and runs through July 18th. It’s intended to be symbolic of the uphill climb faced by combat troops, to honor their commitment and endurance, to help spread awareness of the mental health crisis that is claiming so many of them and to raise funds for programming to help them and the millions of others with similar challenges—for whom they fought.

(The veteran suicide rate is about 20 a day. 70% of those are veterans over 50, which means they have struggled for some time. The fastest growing group is women.)

David’s commitment to America, to US, started long before his military sacrifices: 1. wounded at least 3 times during his first tour, as a Wolfhound, 27th Inf., 25th Inf. Battalion, while roaming the Vietnam woodlands behind enemy lines to save American troops and, occasionally, Vietnamese children, 2. the final injury that led to his being med-vacd to Japan, discharged and permanently disabled, when his third helicopter was shot from under him during his second tour—as a door gunner, and his level of service, that earned him both Bronze and Silver stars, and it continued for almost 50 years after, until he died as the result of an auto accident this past January. You can find him buried next to his brothers & sisters in arms, in Arlington National Cemetery.

PLEASE JOIN US- start your own campaign & let's climb in David's honor to help our veterans, or donate. AIMforabettertomorrow is a 501(c)3 charity--donations are tax deductible.

Ready to help? Click the "Raise Money for this Campaign" button and start your own campaign. It will take you to a simple signup page and then automatically create your GivingGrid that’s ready to go! Then feel free to personalize it. Change the title, photos, goal, whatever you like.

If you want to check out an example, click on the "Campaign Example" button. You’ll see what our standard Climb For Us! GivingGrid looks like. Click on any available square and you can see how someone would make a donation. They can upload a photo, a company logo or let GivingGrid pick a photo for them. So easy!

Thanks so much for your support!