Guardian Revival

The miles of Rocky’s Ruck have led to a meaningful new companionship!

This Friday, October 9, our Boots & Paws team will join the Rocky’s Ruck for Johnny Cake community at Raise the Bar CrossFit in Wappingers Falls for a special companion dog awarding made possible by their incredible fundraising efforts.

Join us Friday to celebrate!
🐾 4:30 PM: Free community workout at Raise the Bar CrossFit
🐾 5:30 PM: Boots & Paws companion dog awarding
Rocky’s Ruck T-shirts will also be available at the event, with proceeds going directly toward the fundraiser.

To the Coschigano family and the entire Rocky’s Ruck community, thank you for your incredible generosity and for making this awarding possible. Your continued support of Guardian Revival’s Boots & Paws program is creating a lasting impact for our guardians.

Thank you for making One Mile Challenge 2026 matter.

To every person who walked, ran, or rucked. To every team captain who brought people together. To every donor, partner, supporter, and friend who shared the mission or encouraged someone to keep moving—thank you.

Throughout September, our community turned a simple commitment of one mile a day into something much bigger: greater awareness, meaningful connection, and support for military members, veterans, first responders, and their families.

The One Mile Challenge may be complete, but Guardian Revival’s mission continues year-round. Your participation and support help make no-cost programs, peer connection, outdoor experiences, companion dogs, music, resources, education, events, and community possible for the guardians and families we serve.

Thank you for showing up. Thank you for moving with purpose. And thank you for helping ensure no guardian has to carry life’s hardest moments alone.

If you didn’t make the challenge, but you still want to make a difference, you can donate and support our guardians here: https://give.guardianrevival.org/omc2026

Every Mile Carries a Name

For Jon, the One Mile Challenge isn’t just about completing his daily mile — it’s about honoring those we’ve lost to su***de and acknowledging the footsteps that should be landing next to our own as we make our way through the month.

A Marine Corps veteran and Guardian Revival Champion, Jon first discovered Guardian Revival through its outdoor program, Another Summit, and eventually got involved by sharing his fieldcraft expertise with other guardians in the program.

He first joined the One Mile Challenge in 2022. As he walked during the challenge, Jon found himself thinking about the friends who’d lost their lives to su***de, and, over time, those reflections became a deeply personal practice — dedicating each mile to a guardian who is no longer here.

Every September, Jon writes the name of someone who has died by su***de at the top of his calendar and the distance he plans to cover beneath it. Some days are for friends that he knew personally, and others are for people he never had the chance to know, but whose lives still matter and deserve to be remembered.

Sometimes the dedication is planned; at other times, a person is simply on his mind — “If that person is on my mind that morning when I wake up, it’s just, ‘Okay, today’s for them.’”

Jon has known the lasting impact of loss throughout his life and service and has had to find ways to keep moving through difficult moments.

Yoga, meditation, time outdoors, physical training, and endurance events became his path forward — practices that provide him with space to reflect, reconnect, and find purpose.

But that doesn’t mean the challenge is easy for him.

As Jon put it: “There are too many people that I have a personal connection with who chose to end their own lives. I really hate doing this because it’s so personal. But it’s important — I have to push through because they can’t be here to walk.”

Even though it’s hard and even though it hurts, Jon goes out every day and names his mile because he knows these losses don’t happen in isolation — they leave an indelible mark that stays with those who served beside them, loved them, worked with them, and are left only with their memories.

“You ask most any vet — or first responder — it’s not a matter of if you get a phone call — it’s when you get a phone call.”

And that’s where the beating heart of the challenge lies for Jon — it’s not just about pushing through the pain and honoring those he’s lost; it’s also about making sure these miles lead to action.

Jon’s miles are an act of remembrance, but they are also a reminder to look after the people walking beside us.

“I hope that people understand that su***de for the veteran and first responder community is an epidemic issue that needs to be addressed,” Jon said

Every day walked, each mile covered, and every story shared is a way to make visible the alarming scale of su***de in veteran and first responder communities and the far-reaching impact it has on those who are left to carry on in the absence of their loved ones.

This September, take a moment to remember someone, check in with someone, or make space for an honest conversation. Walk a mile if it helps. Share a name if you feel able. Reach out when someone comes to mind — consider donating to support Guardian Revival’s work with veterans and first responders.

Your support helps create opportunities for connection and continued pathways toward healing.

No one should have to carry grief, pain, or crisis alone.

If you or someone you know is in emotional distress or thinking about su***de, call or text 988 in the United States, or chat at 988lifeline.org, to reach the 988 Su***de & Crisis Lifeline. Support is free, confidential, and available 24/7.

Veterans, service members, National Guard and Reserve members, and their loved ones can contact the Veterans Crisis Line by calling 988 and pressing 1, texting 838255, or chatting online.

Meet Chris Watkins.

Chris is a co-founder of Guardian Revival and serves as Vice President of our Board of Directors. In 2019, he and his longtime friend Alex Othmer founded Guardian Revival after Alex’s transition from Navy SEAL service made clear how urgently veterans and other guardians need accessible, meaningful support.

Together, they set out to create opportunities for guardians to get outdoors, connect with dogs, and find community through music — ideas that became the foundation for Guardian Revival’s first three programs: Another Summit, Boots & Paws, and Encore.

Each year, Chris takes on the One Mile Challenge, inviting others to move with purpose and support the programs and events he has seen make a difference for military members, veterans, and first responders.

“OMC serves as my daily reminder of those who stood up for the rest of us. And what they may carry because of it, the challenge supports our mission and programs here at Guardian Revival, which we are dedicated to providing at no cost to guardians & families. Every mile and every dollar truly matters.”

—Chris Watkins

Join Chris — or support his One Mile Challenge 2026 movement — through the link below.

https://give.guardianrevival.org/omc2026

As our community continues moving together this month, it’s important to reflect on why the One Mile Challenge takes place during these 30 days and why it’s critical that we all step up.

September is National Su***de Prevention Awareness Month — a time to shine a light on struggles that all too often go unspoken and share ways out of the dark.

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs reported that 6,398 veterans died by su***de in 2023.

Veterans also experience a su***de rate higher than non-veteran U.S. adults, and approximately 50% of first responders experience suicidal ideation (and an estimated 60% of first responder su***des go unreported).

But these are not just statistics. They represent people, families, friends, and communities changed by loss. They show us why the conversation around mental health cannot end with awareness alone — our guardians need a path to connection through understanding.

That's why our organization exists and why we challenge you to move this month.

Too often, meaningful connection or support isn't easy to access — after service, during transition, or while managing the demands of daily life. Finding people who understand or knowing where to turn can feel impossible. Distance, isolation, stigma, and the belief that you have to handle it on your own can make reaching out even harder.

Guardian Revival’s mission is rooted in the belief that no one should shoulder their struggle alone, that connection brings healing, and that healing comes in many forms.

Whether it’s getting out into nature, making music with people who understand, building routines and enjoying the company of a companion dog, or sitting down for coffee with your peers, you can find many no-cost opportunities to connect with others in the community.

Your participation helps Guardian Revival support our programs and events and improve the lives of our guardians.

Support Guardian Revival and the One Mile Challenge today so our guardians don’t have to walk alone.

Sign up or donate here: https://give.guardianrevival.org/omc2026

If you or someone you know is in crisis, call or text 988.

Veterans, service members, National Guard members, and their loved ones can dial 988, then press 1 to reach the Veterans Crisis Line.

Meet Terry Roth.

Terry serves as Guardian Revival’s Board Treasurer, helping guide our strategy and mission. He's also a One Mile Challenge 2026 participant who knows firsthand how one mile a day can lead to something much bigger.

Terry’s first One Mile Challenge opened the door to goals that took him far beyond one mile a day, including running the NYC Half Marathon as a Guardian Champion and summiting two 14,000-foot peaks in Colorado.

“My first OMC opened the door for many things I have done since, with Guardian Revival and on my own. That initial OMC gave me the inspiration and focus to run the NYC Half Marathon as a Guardian Champion, as well as summiting two 14K peaks in Colorado, and ultimately my current level of physical activity.”
—Terry Roth

The reason behind every mile is personal.

What connects each of us is a shared commitment to supporting military members, veterans, first responders, and their families.

Join Terry and the One Mile Challenge community by moving with purpose this September.

Join the movement or contribute today: https://give.guardianrevival.org/omc2026

“Comparison Killz” — the new single from Sonik Koffin — is officially out now!

Turn it up, add it to your playlist, and let us know what you think.

Click the link below to listen:

https://open.spotify.com/album/5gUU07HBECbdxgyVVFlm0l?si=URQVbhePQvKdWcwtWfK5hg

The 4th Annual Rocky’s Ruck for Johnny Cake was an incredible day of community, connection, and commitment to our guardians!

What started as a way to honor one veteran’s life and legacy has grown into a powerful tradition of giving back.

Because of this incredible community, Rocky’s Ruck has raised enough to sponsor four Guardian Revival Boots & Paws companion dog packages, each valued at $5,000 — providing four opportunities to connect guardians with the steady presence and support a companion dog can provide.

Alissa Coschigano Mosca created Rocky’s Ruck to honor her father, John James “Johnny Cake” Coschigano Jr., a U.S. Marine Corps Lance Corporal and Vietnam veteran.

Named for Johnny’s emotional support dog, Rocky, the event brings people together each year to celebrate his life while helping other guardians experience the kind of companionship that meant so much to him.

A huge thank-you to the Coschigano family, every person who rucked, and everyone who contributed. Your generosity and commitment continue to carry Johnny Cake’s legacy forward.

Keep an eye on the Guardian Revival calendar for an upcoming dog awarding made possible by Alissa, her team, and the impact of Johnny’s legacy

We are halfway through One Mile Challenge 2026.

Throughout September, individuals and teams have committed to one mile a day in support of military members, veterans, first responders, and their families. The challenge is rooted in a simple idea: consistent action, shared purpose, and a stronger community around those carrying difficult battles.

So far, the One Mile Challenge community has raised $69,739 with 47 teams supporting the mission.

There is still time to participate. Join the challenge, start or expand a team, make a direct gift, encourage your organization to match donations, or share the campaign with your network.

Every action helps carry the mission forward through the end of September.

Guardian Revival provides no-cost programs, resources, peer connection, education, events, and community for the military and first responder families we serve.

We've come so far together in just two weeks.
Imagine what we could do with two more.
There's still time.

Join the movement or contribute today: https://give.guardianrevival.org/omc2026