Shepherd’s Men To Honor Late Charlie Daniels With 15-Mile Nashville Ruck March

The Charlie Daniels Journey Home Project (TCDJHP) is teaming up with the Shepherd’s Men of the Atlanta-based Shepherd’s Center to honor its founder, the late Charlie Daniels, in Music City on May 27.

Each spring, the Shepherd’s Men organizes a multi-city event where participants run, march, and swim to bring awareness to veteran suicides. This year, during the Nashville stop, participants will strap on 83 pounds of weight, representing Daniels’ 83 years of life. The 15-mile ruck march will begin at 9 a.m. at Daniels’ grave in Mt. Juliet, Tennessee, and will end at Castle Heights Military Academy in Lebanon, Tennessee. A free to the public reception featuring a live performance by Darryl Worley will immediately follow at Sammy B’s Restaurant, located inside the Castle Heights Military Academy.

“Veteran suicides were a critical concern to Charlie, and just a few weeks before he passed we agreed that this issue should become a major priority within our overall mission,” explains TCDJHP co-founder and Daniels’ longtime manager David Corlew. “He believed so much in the Sheperd’s Men’s work, so this is an epic way of honoring Charlie and continuing his mission of saving lives.”

“We run for our brothers and sisters who lost their lives, for our brothers and sisters who are still fighting long after leaving the battlefield and for our brothers and sisters who have not yet returned home,” says Travis Ellis, Shepherd’s Men co-founder. “We will not rest until the number of lives lost every day to suicide goes from 22 to zero. Our veterans deserve to live meaningful, gratifying lives with their families after their courageous service to our country.”

The Shepherd’s Men’s relationship with TCDJHP began several years ago when Daniels began partnering with the group for annual fundraising events benefiting veterans. To date, the two organizations have collectively raised significant funding for injured veterans across the nation.