Every Fourth of July Americans are reminded of the sacrifices that soldiers and their families have made to protect the freedom we cherish. For Lyette Reback, CEO of Believe With Me, supporting the families of fallen soldiers is more than just a one-day event; it’s a year ’round mission.
Believe With Me began when Reback’s daughter was assigned a student service project. Around the same time, Reback saw a social media post from a military widow. “She was asking if anyone knew an organization that provided Christmas gifts for children of the fallen,” says Reback. “I thought that was a great idea. I looked and nobody was doing it. So, I said to the kids: ‘What if we do this ourselves?’” In a few short weeks, a posse of volunteers had bought, wrapped, and delivered gifts for 168 children around the country just in time for Christmas.
Since that first Christmas in 2015, Believe With Me has served over 11,000 children of soldiers killed both in action and through any circumstances related to their military service. In addition to its annual Christmas gift distribution, Believe With Me sends gifts to military widows on Valentine’s Day and to mothers and fathers of the fallen for Mother’s Day and Father’s Day.
On July 4, Believe With Me is hosting its tenth annual Freedom 4-Miler race in Tequesta. While the race serves as a fundraiser for the organization, it’s also a tribute to individual soldiers. Each mile is named after a local fallen service member, and signs and experiences tell that person’s story throughout that mile. “If his favorite dessert was peach cobbler, his mom is standing at that mile handing out peach cobbler,” says Reback. “The point is you may not remember that soldier’s name, but you will remember that peach cobbler and the next time you eat peach cobbler, you will be reminded. That is the whole point.”
Facebook Comments