Huntsville growth strategy firm backs Veterans Against Suicide’s 6,000-mile awareness mission on an incredibly short timeline, and calls on other businesses and individuals to join the challenge
HUNTSVILLE, Ala., July 10, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Veterans Against Suicide Inc. and BAILOR today announced that the Huntsville-based growth strategy firm has been named the founding “Mission Accelerator” sponsor of the Freedom Fighter mission, a 6,000-mile endurance record attempt around America’s Great Loop designed to bring national attention to veteran suicide. The mission’s urgency and compressed launch timeline aligned with what BAILOR does best: making impossible missions reality.
On July 24, a three-man crew will depart from Ditto Landing in Huntsville, AL, aboard Freedom Fighter, a former U.S. Coast Guard SAFE Boat Defender vessel restored and outfitted for the mission. The crew will attempt to break the fastest publicly documented Great Loop completion record of 12 days, 18 hours, and 10 minutes, using every mile of the journey to remind veterans they are not alone and that help is available.
As the Mission Accelerator sponsor, BAILOR holds the flagship partnership in the campaign. The firm helped shape the mission’s launch strategy, opened doors to community and business partners, and provided the momentum that turned an ambitious idea into a national awareness campaign in a matter of weeks.
“A century ago, an explorer named Shakelton put out a call for a nearly impossible expedition – hardship, danger, uncertain return – and thousands of people showed up, because humans are pulled toward missions that matter. When I met Dave, and the crew, I saw three men willing to risk something extraordinary for a cause that reaches into families in every state across the US,” said Sonya Bailor, Founder & CEO of BAILOR. ” I saw a mission that deserved to have national exposure, but didn’t know how to get there. At BAILOR, we spend every day helping leaders turn seemingly impossible goals into missions they can execute and scale – at speed if desired – just like the Freedom Fighter Great Loop record break attempt by Veterans Against Suicide. We knew we could accelerate the whole mission towards success. That’s why we’re more than proud to be the flagship Mission Accelerator partner, and why we literally put our ‘pirate flag’ on the boat!”
Veterans Against Suicide leaders say the partnership set the pace for the entire campaign.
“Twenty-two veterans die by suicide every day, and too many of them die believing no one is coming. We took the oath to never leave a fallen comrade. This mission is that creed put into action,” said David Skrzecz, founder of Veterans Against Suicide, Inc. and mission leader, Freedom Fighter. “BAILOR understood the moment they heard it and became more than a sponsor… they have become our trusted partner for this entire mission. While the boat was still being outfitted and the timeline looked impossible, they brought the strategy, the connections, and the immense urgency of a true force multiplier, and they got us to the starting line. Now we’re asking every other business and every American to follow their lead. Every sponsor, every dollar, and every conversation helps carry this message another mile. And out here, one more mile can be the difference between a veteran who feels forgotten, and one who knows we never stopped and will never stop coming.”
A Mission Bigger Than the Record
The organization’s mission was inspired by the national “22 a day” awareness movement, which brought unprecedented attention to veteran suicide. Today, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs publishes updated annual data of veterans reported in their system, with its most recent report documenting 6,398 Veteran suicides in 2023.
Every one of those losses represents a family, a community, and a life that mattered. Through the Freedom Fighter mission, Veterans Against Suicide seeks to spark conversations, encourage veterans to seek help when needed, and remind communities that connection and support save lives.
Throughout the approximately 12-day voyage, supporters will be able to follow the crew with live GPS tracking, daily mission updates, video reports from the water, and social media coverage.
How Businesses and Individuals Can Join the Mission
With BAILOR’s flagship sponsorship in place, Veterans Against Suicide is inviting other businesses and community members to help fund and fuel the mission before the July 24 launch. Opportunities include:
Corporate sponsorships — A limited number of corporate sponsorship opportunities remain, with benefits including logo placement on the vessel and crew gear, national press inclusion, website inclusion, and dedicated social media features.Mission sponsorships — Businesses and families can fuel and dedicate a leg of the journey, sponsor a crew member, or support live mission tracking.Individual giving — Donations begin at $22, honoring the long-cited estimate of veterans lost to suicide each day, and every donor becomes part of the mission’s Wall of Honor.
Sponsorship details, donation options, and live mission tracking are available at www.VeteransAgainstSuicide.org.
Veterans in crisis, or anyone concerned about a veteran, can contact the Veterans Crisis Line by calling 988 and pressing 1, or by texting 838255.
About BAILOR
BAILOR is a growth strategy consulting and coaching firm based in Huntsville, Alabama. Through the BAILOR Method™, the Build to Scale™ program, and executive coaching, the firm partners with leadership teams to identify and overcome growth obstacles and build scalable, resilient businesses. Learn more at www.bailor.group.
About Veterans Against Suicide
Veterans Against Suicide Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to increasing awareness, promoting education, and advocating for solutions that reduce veteran suicide. Through outreach, partnerships, and innovative awareness campaigns, the organization works to ensure veterans know they are never alone.
Media Opportunities
Media interviews are available prior to launch with Sonya Bailor, Founder and CEO of BAILOR; David Skrzecz, Mission Leader and Founder of Veterans Against Suicide; and members of the Freedom Fighter crew. B-roll, photography, mission graphics, crew biographies, and media kits are available upon request.
Veterans Against Suicide Inc.
Media Contact: Sonia Robinson, media@bailor.group, 256.509.5916
Website: https://www.veteransagainstsuicide.org/
Mission Information: https://www.veteransagainstsuicide.org/freedom-fighter
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SOURCE Bailor Group
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