In a tall garage on a humid Saturday, veterans are filling the space with fumes from spray paint cans.
They’re prepping their latest race car for an endurance race at the Sebring International Raceway at the end of the month. It’s taken months to get to this point – and the car still needs the seat installed.
“You have no idea how much more work it is,” Jenings Casey said. “It’s a lot more work than I thought.”
Jenings found the organization Racing4Vets through Facebook. He is in the United States Air Force and is thinking about starting his next career in racing. He said Racing4Vets seemed like the perfect fit.
“It’s a support system that isn’t there on the outside,” he said.
Racing4Vets is more than fast rides, said John Vann, who created the organization. John has PTSD and wanted to create a constructive environment where veterans could support one another and find a new purpose, post-military.
“Racing4Vets is racing to save 22 vets a day,” John said. “The cars are just a tool. The real program is community support.”
Twenty-two veterans commit suicide every day, John said. He wants his organization to help bring down that number and lift up local veterans, like Jenings. It’s hard for civilians to relate to the struggles veterans go through.
“I have civilian friends and it’s hard to tell them stories without them looking down on you,” Jenings said. “They say ‘oh you’re a veteran, you’re disabled, you can’t do everything.’ Well I can do everything, I live with the problems I have. I want to move forward, I don’t want to dwell on them.”
“There are veterans that do need help, I’m not one of them,” he said.
Racing4Vets puts these veterans to work. They are expected to help in any way that they can, whether it be physically working on the car or working with businesses in the community to get donated supplies and sponsorships.
“The key to our success is work,” John said. “Get out, get involved, leave the house, get out in your community, volunteer and work.”