PATRICK AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. -- Air Force veteran Stacey Pavenski, 46, of Palm Bay, Florida, walks on the beach with her therapy dog, Memphis Belle, along with those who signed up to join her on a PTSD 3K walk-run she put together June 30, 2018, across from Patrick Air Force Base in Cocoa Beach, Florida.
Pavenski is on a journey to bring awareness to PTSD and traumatic brain injury disorders that lead 22 veterans a day to take their own lives. Her husband, Air Force Master Sgt. Pete Pavenski, took his own life Sept. 18, 2017.
Pavenski joined forces with Mission 22, a non-profit organization, to put together a PTSD 3K walk-run on Florida’s Space Coast during PTSD Awareness Month. Nearly 300 people registered for the first annual events. She plans to hold the event annually to raise awareness for PTSD and veteran suicide.