Student veterans from the University of Toledo and Bowling Green State University are lacing up before sunrise this morning for a 24-mile march with a purpose — carrying the game ball for the Battle of I-75 from Bowling Green to Toledo.

The fourth annual “Ruck the Ball” march steps off at 8 a.m. today, Saturday, Nov. 14, from the Nontraditional and Military Student Services Office at BGSU. Members of both schools’ Student Veterans of America chapters, along with ROTC members and community supporters, will march the 24 miles to the Veterans’ Plaza on the University of Toledo campus, where they will deliver the game ball.

Student representatives will then present the ball to game officials before kickoff of the Battle of I-75 rivalry game, set for Friday, Nov. 20 at the Glass Bowl. The rivalry series is sponsored by Fremont Federal Credit Union.

The march raises awareness of the high rate of suicide among U.S. military veterans and highlights the importance of supporting those who have served.

Community members are welcome to join the march — and they are not required to complete the entire 24-mile route.

For more information, contact the UToledo Military Service Center at MSC@utoledo.edu or 419-530-1392.

Source: University of Toledo Athletics

The Glass Bowl in Toledo, via Wikimedia Commons.