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Claremore woman donates her birthday to veterans-help organization

Claremore Daily Progress - 7/26/2017

July 26--Instead of having people raise their voices to sing another verse of "Happy Birthday" to her this year, for her birthday, Claremore woman Sue B. Payne instead wants them to raise their voices on behalf of others -- to be the voice of the veterans in need.

"My birthday was (is) coming up in August and instead of it being like just another birthday, I wanted to do something to help other people -- to make a difference," Payne said. "A few years ago, I was at a racing show my grandson was in and there was an organization that had a booth there -- that group was the 22 Warriors Foundation.

"I bought a bracelet from them and they gave me some information about the group, who they were, what they do, and their mission, their purpose really touched my heart," she said. "They're a veterans-help group, and I never forgot about them.

"With me having a birthday in a few weeks, I wanted to do something -- something -- to help the 22 Warriors Foundation, so I put out on Facebook that I was going to host a fundraiser in conjunction with my birthday, hoping to raise money for and awareness of this group," she said.

The 22 Warriors Foundation is a veteran-founded, operated, and governed veteran's nonprofit that is dedicated to eliminating veteran suicides.

The organization -- which derives its name from a statistic that 22 veterans commit suicide every day -- addresses the issues that lie behind suicides, high risk behaviors, untreated mental illness and lack of resources.

Although Payne herself service in the Air Force in the early 1970's, she said she hardly considers herself a "veteran," as she didn't serve overseas or in combat.

"To me, veterans are men or women in the service who lay down their lives for their country or come back to civilian life having fought for it (the country)," she said. "So many of them come back without any support from their family or friends -- I'm fortunate, I had that support -- I can't imagine what it would be like to go through what so many of our veterans have gone through and not have the support they need back here at home.

Payne's initial thought was to maybe raise $100 to go towards the group, but she was surprised if not overwhelmed by the response from her family and friends.

"As of yesterday, I'm past my goal -- well past it, as I've raised more than $800 to go towards the 22 Warriors Foundation," she said. "I was so touched, I cried -- just so thankful at people's generosity, their willingness to help their fellow man. There aren't words."

Even though she's far-exceeded her expectations in fundraising, Payne said she would still hope that people would consider donating to the 22 Warriors Foundation, whether on their own or by way of her fundraiser, which ends on her birthday, Friday, Aug. 4.

For more information about 22 Warriors Foundation, visit them online at www.22warriors.org, or message Sue B. Payne on Facebook.

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(c)2017 the Claremore Daily Progress (Claremore, Okla.)

Visit the Claremore Daily Progress (Claremore, Okla.) at claremoreprogress.com

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