Carry The Load
I first participated in Carry the Load (CTL) in 2013 alongside Comfort Crew's Co-Founder, the late Ronda Englander. We walked 22 miles to recognize and honor Ronda's father, Rocky Armstead.
Medevac pilot Warrant Officer Rocky Armstead's helicopter crashed during his deployment in Viet Nam. This was a tragic loss for his only child, Ronda, who was just 3 years old at the time. Growing up without a father was hard for such a young child, especially at a time when military families had few resources available to them. Ronda felt as though she was the only one that lost her father, "Losing my dad at such a young age and growing up without any support made me feel alone."
This experience inspired Ronda to help those experiencing the difficulties of military life. One of her first projects was to create a resource focused on helping children cope with loss. The Grief Comfort Kit contains tools and strategies that explain loss and the grieving process to move forward. Over 20,000 Grief Comfort Kits have been distributed to military kids who have lost a loved one. Although we lost Ronda in March of 2020, she left behind a legacy of serving our country by strengthening military families.
I am honored to now serve as the Executive Director of Comfort Crew for Military Kids and further Ronda's vision of supporting this new generation of military kids so that they know they're not alone. I am walking to honor Rocky and his daughter Ronda.
If you think this page contains objectionable content, please inform the system administrator.