New Warrior Spirit Run and CrossFit workout created to help veterans

A new 5K run on the lakefront will add a faster pace to Veterans Day observance in Milwaukee, and raise money for the Dryhootch support organization.

Proceeds from the Dryhootch Warrior Spirit Run/Walk, on Saturday, will be used to install a wheelchair elevator in the group's coffee house on Brady St. The lift, expected to cost $30,000, will make the second-floor meeting rooms accessible to those with disabilities.

Dryhootch directors created the physical fundraiser to promote exercise as part of the path for veterans and their families to overcome physical and mental health problems.

"We want to get them back to exercise, not just taking pills," said Bob Curry, a Vietnam veteran and founder of Dryhootch. "Physical exercise is good for any mental disorder."

Curry founded the group in 2008 to provide peer counseling for veterans and help them reestablish their civilian lives. The support groups assist roughly 1,200 veterans and others with drug and alcohol addiction, legal issues and unemployment.

"Our motto is helping the veteran and the family that survived the war survive the peace," Curry said.

The run/walk starts at 9 a.m. at the Milwaukee War Memorial Center, 750 N. Lincoln Memorial Dr., and the course will cover a portion of the lakefront in and around Veterans Park.

Registration will open at 7 a.m. and costs $30 on race-day.

Roughly 150 have signed up so far for an event that Curry hopes to build in future years.

Exercise will be part of another event honoring a veteran on Saturday, in Hartland. A CrossFit workout at the CrossFit Lake Country, 1115 Cottonwood Ave., will honor 1st Lt. Daren Hidalgo, a West Point graduate killed in Afghanistan in February.

Participants will tackle the challenging series of strength training exercises from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Proceeds from the $30 registration fees will be directed to the Daren M. Hidalgo Memorial Fund, which provides scholarships and support for wounded soldiers.