Scholarship Recipient and co-founder of Run Down The Demons, Colin Winter

What was your role in founding Run Down The Demons?

"Run Down The Demons was derived from the idea of hosting a one-time 5k obstacle run/walk event. When close to 300 people signed up to participate in the event, we realized that there was a high demand for assisting our veteran community. About a month after the 5k took place, I decided to take the initiative by applying to trademark the Run Down The Demons logo and to incorporate Run Down The Demons as a nonprofit organization. On September 11, 2015, Run Down The Demons was approved as a 501 (c)(3), nonprofit organization."

Why are you passionate about this cause?

"My passion for this cause is derived from personal experiences while serving in the United States Army. I spent two "all-inclusive vacations" in the combat zone of Baghdad, Iraq - once during "The Surge" from February 2007 to May 2008 and again during the transition from Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) to Operation New Dawn (OND) from December 2009 to December 2010. Aside from experiencing my personal demons, I learned that my best friend committed suicide following our 15-month deployment and a few months later, another one of our friends had taken his life as well. As Run Down The Demons strives to raise awareness about PTSD and suicide prevention, I have taken on a personal goal to honor my friends who have taken their lives; to eliminate the possibility of another service member, veteran and/or family member from taking his/her life; and to do everything in my power to ensure that nobody else experiences the pain that comes with losing a loved one to suicide."

For more information about Run Down The Demons, click here