Why a Ridgeland nonprofit is keeping a bonfire burning until Memorial Day
Editor’s note: This article mentions suicide. The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline provides free 24/7 confidential support at 1-800-273-8255.
Over the next 22 days, ending on Memorial Day, a bonfire will burn in Ridgeland under the watchful eye of a group of local veterans.
The fire will start Monday evening and last until May 31.
Operation Patriots Forward Operating Base — a nonprofit organization based in Ridgeland that offers combat veterans free recreational activities and fellowship on a 268-acre preserve — is lighting the fire to raise awareness about suicide among veterans.
“It’s our way of memorializing and holding a memorial for those that have made that decision,” said Ben Kennedy, the vice chairman of OPFOB’s board of directors. “We’re trying to prevent that, so this is an awareness campaign.”
Kennedy said OPFOB provides activities for veterans adjusting to civilian life, including hunting, skeet shooting and fishing.
“We want to give them a place where they feel like they can get away from that day-to-day hustle and bustle and allow them to relax and connect back to the world and with nature,” he said. “We believe veterans do better in a natural environment where they can be outdoors and relax.”
The fire will burn for 22 days to coincide with a commonly cited statistic claiming an average of 22 veterans commit suicide each day in the United. States. While that specific number pulled from a 2012 Department of Veterans Affairs report has been called into question over the last several years, the incidence of suicide among veterans is still an issue of concern for many with direct ties to the military and those without.
The most recent data from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs shows a pattern of a significantly higher rate of suicide among veterans than among the general population.
Among the veteran population in 2018, there were 27.5 suicide deaths per 100,000, while that number was 18.2 among those who were not veterans. The average number of veterans who took their own life each day was 17.6 in 2018, a slight increase from the previous year’s number.
The event is invitation-only. Those who want to get involved or sponsor a day can email roy@opfob.org.
The bonfire begins at 328 Lakeview Drive in Ridgeland starting at 6 p.m. Monday.
