Next year, Anna Judd will be running from California to NYC in an effort to raise awareness about what veterans in the United States need. She is raising money forTeam RWB and Operation Warrior Wellness, two organizations dedicated to attacking PTSD, substance abuse, anxiety and depression with alternative, cost-effective methods that focus on community, health, and discipline.

As Anna and her team cross the country, they will be interviewing veterans along the route about their experience in the military, what they gained from it, and specific problems that need to be addressed. These problems include PTSD, anxiety, depression, alcoholism, health care, suicide, divorce rates, and unemployment.

It seems like a lot of money, but considering the scope of this project, it's not. We need to food/shelter/transport 4 people across America for 100 days, while documenting the the stories of veterans on film, and putting all of it up on *functional* website. We also need supplies to provide food and water to provide for those who come out to join us on the run. This project is way bigger than you could ever imagine, and we really tried to keep costs down to a minimum.

During the run, we will be raising money for two amazing organizations that are dedicated to improving the lives of veterans for the long-term. These two foundations are Team RWB and the David Lynch Foundation. Team RWB brings groups of veterans and civilians together for group runs and competitive racing events. Strenuous exercise is a very effective way of combating symptoms of PTSD, insomnia, anxiety, and depression. The David Lynch Foundation's Operation Warrior Wellness trains veterans in Transcendental Meditation, which has a profound and lasting impact on those who have suffered traumatic experiences. 

2. SHARE this indie gogo site on your social media. Mention us and what we are doing to your friends and family. Let those who would benefit from involvement know so they have a chance to see what we’re up to. Join our mailing list!

3. RUN America with Anna if she is passing through where you live. If you want, bring your own memorial (a rock, a picture, a special keepsake, a letter) in order to memorialize someone you know who has fallen.

4 CARRY the burden. Anna will be carrying 22 rocks across the US to raise awareness about the 22 veterans who commit suicide every day. If you are a runner or an athlete, come out to join Anna, and help her carry part of the burden

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Anna Runs America 

The most asked question:

HOW DID YOU GET THIS IDEA??

1. Can you really run across America? Is that physically possible? 

The answer to this question is simple. Yes. People do it all the time. Although it seems like an extreme goal, to run from one coast to the other, hundreds of people have done it in the history of the country (this does not include Forrest Gump). Anna trains 3-6 hours every day in order to prepare for this physically and is working under the guidance of coach and superstar ultra-runner Lisa Smith-Batchen. 

2. It seems like you are doing a lot with this project and I don't understand how it all ties together. Will you elaborate?

There's an old proverb that says, "The best time to fix the roof is when the sun is shining." We really believe that we are at a pivotal point in human history, where direct action by individuals is extremely important if we want to ensure the survival of our species. To fix a problem, first we have to educate ourselves about it. Then we have to feel it's weight. We cannot separate ourselves from larger problems with humanity and with the environment, because everything is connected. We have to take accountability in some way, because both inaction and resistance will only lead to the persistence of that with is wrong with the world. And finally, we have to speak up, and take direct action. After we have educated ourselves and felt the weight of an issue, we must start talking about it, and talking about how we can change. We must see ourselves as the champions and advocates of causes, and encourage those around us to care too. Apathy is the enemy of mankind, and empathy is what will save us. 

Through a massive creative impulse, we can spark change, but it will only happen through the joint participation of everyone.

Truth: There are devastating problems in the world that cause misery and suffering in epic proportions. We cannot better our world and start to fix these problems until we are willing to be honest about what causes them, our role in them, and how we maybe even benefit from the problems existing. By taking sides, calling ourselves "militant" or a "pacifist", we only create more divisions between us, limiting our effectiveness and our ability to work together. The governments inability to take care of even it's most valued members of society (those who would risk their life and die for their country) proves that we must take care of each other, and not rely on institutions to pick up the slack. Veteran suicide rates, veteran homelessness, and a myriad of of other issues are a testament that the days when the government took care of it's people have passed and now it our duty to create systems and communities where we take care of each other.

Most everyone joins the military for the same overarching reason: they want to make a difference in the world. They fight overseas to protect our constitutional rights, and a way to pay them back is to utilize this right as tenaciously as we can. By demanding truth from each other, and by exercising our right to free speech, we are being patriotic and upholding the precious ideals for which our soldiers fight. 

Compassion:  I am concerned with two things only: compassion and truth. Regardless of political or religious ideology, we must commit to taking care of each other. We are all humans, occupying the same planet, and none of us has more of a right to be here than another. 

 We must come together on one issue, to create a unified state under which we are able to find commonality and become catalysts for change.  That issue must be our commitment to each other. 

3. Whats the deal with the FLAG CARDS???

Anna is asking for the involvement of artists, non-artists, veterans, and civilians  to all contribute their messages to America. Write/draw/create a visual message which expresses a truth about yourself or your country  and send it to flagcards2014@gmail.com. These will be uploaded onto a website, which will create a virtual self-portrait of the United States of America in 2014. If you sponsor a flag for 10 dollars, we will reproduce your art and attach it to a flag, which we place in the ground as we run across the country, creating a mobile art installation that carries your message to America across the country, and maybe even across the world.  This is a demonstration in free speech, creativity, and self-expression, and the most patriotic thing we can think of doing.

3. Why are you called Face America?

We are called Face America because we want to humanize problems that exist in our culture by putting a face to them. We do that by interviewing veterans, the men and women who have seen this country at it's very worst and at it's very best, and giving you their stories to learn from. I also want to face America myself, and I'm doing that by running, which for me is the ultimate expression of freedom. And we also want America to Face itself. We're doing that by giving you an opportunity to confront the country and speak up about what is important to you by sponsoring a flag.

4. Why veterans?

Originally, I didn't know what cause to raise awareness for with my run, but I decided on veterans because they were the group of people that I understood the least. I wrongfully believed that I had nothing in common with them. 

I decided that if I really wanted to push myself to my limitations, and if compassion is my ultimate goal, that I must try to understand them first. 

I realized after interviewing just several veterans that they were more like me than I ever imagined. More than that, they hold knowledge, discipline, and experience that is invaluable to us as a country. They have seen America at it's very best and at it's very worst, and their honest perspective is profound and worth hearing.