One woman's self-described craziness has turned into an annual tradition of showing appreciation.
The fourth-annual Hug a Veteran Day tour is today. Indianapolis resident and IUPUI student Traci Stewart said she started the event because she wanted to show support to the veterans.
"I'm a little crazy, and one Saturday night I walked in [her local American] Legion and just started walking along the bar hugging veterans," she said. "It felt so good and was so well-received, I decided I would hit all the locations in Hamilton County that night and I did."
Stewart said the thought to get a group together to hug veterans didn't occur to her until the end of the night.
"One of the last places I went to, the bartender asked me what organization I was with," she said. "I thought, ‘Hey, that's a good idea.'"
Stewart isn't going solo anymore.
This year, 37 people are registered to participate and will be split up into two groups. Both will start in Indianapolis, and one group will go to Veterans of Foreign Wars and
American Legion locations around the east side of Marion county, and the other will cover Hamilton County.
"This is definitely the biggest event. It grows every year," Stewart said.
Stewart said part of her inspiration for hugging veterans was hearing the story of Cpl. Robert P. Warns II, who died while serving in Iraq. Warns was the nephew of a friend of Stewart's, and she was touched by his story after watching a tribute video online and seeing all the people whose lives he affected.
"There have been hits on the website from all over the world," Stewart said. "It was an amazing video and even more amazing how it turned into its own legacy."
The Hug a Veteran Day tour will take place from 6 to 8 p.m. today. Stewart said although they may not be able to accommodate volunteers who didn't pre-register, anyone anywhere is welcome to hug veterans.
"We've got a lot going on in the world today," she said. "Let's let veterans know they're still appreciated."
For more information on Hug a Veteran Day or Warns, go to hugaveteranday.com or bobbywarns.com.
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