Photo By Sgt. 1st Class Nicholas Nofziger | Army First Sgt. (Ret.) Jarrid Collins runs into Biggs Park at Fort Bliss May 13 with...... read more read more
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FORT BLISS, Texas – The summer season at Fort Bliss is commonly known for two things: Texas heat and barbeque.
Military members, civilian employees and family members assigned to the sprawling West Texas military installation got a chance to kick off the season earlier thanks to U.S. Army First Sgt. (Ret.) Jarrid Collins and Operation BBQ Relief during a MWR event May 13 at Biggs Park.
Collins, who prefers to be called Jay, opened the event running through the large crowd with an American flag in hand. The event at Fort Bliss was part of an official stop of a 2,500-mile journey from Los Angeles to Tampa for Operation BBQ Relief.
Jay, who serves as the organization’s head of non-disaster programs, created the “Breaking Bread Tour” to impact communities across the nation. An extension of Operation BBQ Relief’s “Always Serving Project”, the “Breaking Bread Tour” aims to connect, inspire, and serve first responders, veterans, and service members through barbeque.
After running and hand-cycling roughly 800 miles in two weeks, most people would be exhausted, but not Jay. In fact, over the course of the three-hour event, he didn’t sit down once.
“I thought, what better way to interact with these communities than to run, bike, and hand-cycle across our amazing country, feeding people every week,” he said.
Jay is a retired Green Beret who, after living with constant pain following an injury sustained in combat, made the decision to receive a below the knee amputation of his left leg. He says he is thriving better following his procedure.
“Three months post-surgery, I did a mini-triathlon; by six months post-amputation, I did a half-marathon; at the one-year mark, I did my first post-amputation marathon. I’ve been blessed to complete 12 marathons since my amputation, compete in the 2018 DoD Warrior Games, and the 2018 Invictus Games in Australia,” Jay said.
While many may see running, biking, and hand-cycling 2,500 miles in two months as an insurmountable obstacle, Jay viewed it as an exciting challenge. So exciting, in fact, that he is already planning the “Breaking Bread Tour” for the next two years.
“We chose three routes, because it gave us the best opportunity to impact as many communities as possible across the nation. It’s important to share our message of ‘Hope, Compassion, and Friendship’ in as many communities as possible as a volunteer-driven organization.”
Next year, the “Breaking Bread Tour” team will travel across the central United States, with a tour traveling along the Northern U.S. border the following year.
As more and more Service members and Families sat down to enjoy their barbeque lunches, Jay gazed at the happy, well-fed faces, and was clearly proud of his work.
“Selecting Fort Bliss (as one of seven stops) was an easy decision because of its rich military history and the amazing units and organizations assigned to it. Having the opportunity to ‘break bread’ with organizations like the 1st Armored Division, the U.S. Army Sergeants Major Academy, and others is a privilege and honor.”
The “Breaking Bread Tour” team makes its final stop in Tampa, Florida on June 16 just before the opening ceremony of the 2019 DoD Warrior Games June 22.
To see how you can volunteer with Operation BBQ Relief, visit www.operationbbqrelief.org.
| Date Taken: | 05.13.2019 |
| Date Posted: | 05.22.2019 17:28 |
| Story ID: | 323444 |
| Location: | FORT BLISS, TX, US |
| Hometown: | SCOBEY, MT, US |
| Web Views: | 111 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
This work, BREAKING BREAD ACROSS AMERICA, by SFC Nicholas Nofziger, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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