---

By Blake Boles 
 
LAS VEGAS, NV (November 9th, 2016) — In a touching ceremony that recalled the struggles of returned veterans, UNLV hosted a ‘Run/Walk to Remember’ 5 kilometer race and ceremony on November 9th. The ceremony, which once again raised the horrific statistic of 20 military suicides per day, was attended by several dozen veterans, community partners, UNLV staff and students.  
 
Preventing veteran suicide is a passion for the Director of the Military & Veteran Services Center at UNLV, Army veteran Ross Bryant. “I wish I could tell you that we haven’t been affected,” said Bryant. “Sadly, we’ve lost four people to this epidemic.” Bryant also stressed the importance of mentors in their Rebel Vet organization. The PAVE Program matches incoming students with student-veteran mentors who have already gone through the transition process at UNLV. “That way,” says Bryant, “these veterans aren’t alone. And one of the things that all these suicides have in common is just that: they were alone.”  
 
Others in attendance was the United State air Force association, Women Veterans of Nevada, Rally Point Six, the National Guard, and Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA). Every speaker had a heart-rending story about how veteran suicide had affected their lives. Everyone was in agreement, though, that the current toll on veterans today needs to be addressed, something this ceremony hopefully brought about in the students passing by on their way to class.