12/05/2025
North Central Army JROTC cadets joined forces with 25 military members to fight against hunger on Dec. 3 at North Central High School during the second annual Ruck for Rations.
Cadets and military members filled their rucksacks with non-perishable foods and walked one mile together inside the school.
More than 1,546 pounds of donations were collected, all of which will go to HVAF - Helping Veterans And Families.
“We are so grateful to the JROTC cadets and staff for planning and hosting the Ruck for Rations march this year. The donations will help meet the needs of Hoosier veterans,” said Emmy Hildebrand, CEO of HVAF.
The second annual Ruck for Rations is a cadet-led event that teaches responsibility and planning. Cadets handle registration, the weighing of rucksacks, and communication with outside organizations.
“It teaches us how to organize an event and gives us an opportunity to better our leadership skills. This event requires us to coordinate with each other, identify problems, and solve them before the event,” said Cadet Dagan Waldman, a senior at North Central.
“This is one of our largest semester events,” said Major Tyler Mitchell, senior Army instructor at North Central. “Our program is designed to teach personal responsibility and selfless service so that every cadet is ready to excel in the military or the private sector.”
The top three military units that brought in the most weight in donations were awarded small trophies that featured a miniature soup can.
Maj. Vernon Wolfork, battalion operations officer with the 2/338th Training Support Battalion, whose team came in second place, said, “The five of us completing a one-mile ruck with 267 pounds of donations for veterans in need was an easy choice.
It was great to see young patriots taking the initiative to aid veterans in need.”
Army JROTC was created in 1916. Its mission statement is: “Motivate young people to be better citizens.”
📸 courtesy of the 310th ESC.