4WARD PROJECT

MISSION ACCOMPLISHED: ZION RED ROCK 2025 Our goal is to empower our veterans through adventure and intensity, spark clarity and closure through guided conversation, and instill a conviction for healthy life changes moving forward.? This retreat is mission accomplished, and it took every single person to create a collective that allowed for this lasting level of healing and connection. We are eternally grateful to all our sponsors and donors who help make these trips possible. Together we are creating a ripple effect throughout the veteran community! Please join us in welcoming and congratulating our newest Waypoint Vets Alumni!! They hiked the Narrows in the Virgin River, navigated and rappelled through the canyons of Lamb's Knoll, opened themselves to mindful meditation, holistic healing practices, and formed forever bonds. We are so proud of our Brothers & Sisters!! ???????? #WaypointVets #HonorTheFallen TRIP SPECIFIC SPONSORS: Hot Shot's Secret Zion Red Rock Villa Zion Guru Nama-Stay - Vacation & Retreat Village Marine Corps League CVMA TN 18-1 Alexis Park All-Suites Resort Branch Hill Ohio VFW Post 5354 Bombas Special Thanks to our Ongoing Supporters! Your continued contributions are making these opportunities of healing and camaraderie possible for our Veterans! Hot Shot's Secret Gold Eagle Company Rolling Thunder TN Chapter 4 Rolling Thunder, Inc. Chapter 2 Tn Gallatin Elks Lodge 2547 American Veterans Department of Tennessee Ella Ride by Gallatin Roughnecks Roughnecks MC - Lebanon TN Cedar City Crew Chapter Women In Trucking Association Wreaths Across America Caterpillar Inc. Hansen & Adkins Auto Transport 4WARD PROJECT Polk County Chamber of Commerce Archer Van Rentals

MISSION UPDATE 2: ZION RED ROCK 2025 The day began with Morning Movement: A thorough, rejuvenating, full body stretch to wake up the body and prepare us for today's hikes: Scout Lookout and Emerald Pools.? After a hearty breakfast, we split into two hiking difficulty groups and set out for Zion National Park.? Scout lookout is a paved, narrow, and very steep 3.6 mile out and back hike with an 1,100' elevation gain.? Group 2 had the opportunity to enjoy both Upper and Lower Emerald Pools on their 4 mile, unpaved yet slow paced trek.? Both hikes were physically challenging, yet visually rewarding, with jaw dropping views of Zion throughout. It's Taco night!? Everyone piled up their tortillas and sat down to eat and talk about the day's adventures. After dinner, we loaded up into the vans and set out to experience a Sound Bath at Nama-Stay Retreat Village in Springdale, UT. Sound baths use crystal bowls and other tools to create specific frequencies and vibrations that help you relax and feel more calm. The research and science behind this practice shows that the sounds allow for a shift of the brain's electrical patterns in response to these frequencies. This activates the parasympathetic nervous system - which is how our bodies naturally repair, digest, and heal. Needless to say, we slept well. Tomorrow, our small groups switch as everyone heads back to Lamb's Knoll and The Narrows!? ???????? #WaypointVets #HonorTheFallen TRIP SPECIFIC SPONSORS: Hot Shot's Secret Zion Red Rock Villa Zion Guru Nama-Stay - Vacation & Retreat Village Marine Corps League CVMA TN 18-1 Alexis Park All-Suites Resort Branch Hill Ohio VFW Post 5354 Bombas Special Thanks to our Ongoing Supporters! Your continued contributions are making these opportunities of healing and camaraderie possible for our Veterans! Hot Shot's Secret Gold Eagle Company Rolling Thunder TN Chapter 4 Rolling Thunder, Inc. Chapter 2 Tn Gallatin Elks Lodge 2547 American Veterans Department of Tennessee Ella Ride by Gallatin Roughnecks Roughnecks MC - Lebanon TN Cedar City Crew Chapter Women In Trucking Association Wreaths Across America Caterpillar Inc. Hansen & Adkins Auto Transport 4WARD PROJECT Polk County Chamber of Commerce Archer Van Rentals

MISSION UPDATE 1: ZION RED ROCK 2025 We started the day with Morning Movement: A dynamic yoga session donated by our partners at Zion Guru. After a hearty breakfast, we separated into two groups. One geared up with harnesses, helmets, and ropes to tackle Canyoneering at Lamb's Knoll while the other dawned their waterproof bibs and wooden staffs to go hike the Narrows. Just outside of ZNP, Lamb's Knoll is a visually enchanting canyon with incredible rappel height variety, scrambling options for many ability levels, and loads of team building opportunities. After completing a series of obstacles, traverses, and down climbs together, our veterans were given the option for a 200 FOOT rappel called the SleeStack. Canyoneering is designed perfectly for building camaraderie and self-assurance. The Narrows was carved by the Virgin River and nestled in the narrowest part of Zion Canyon. This gorge boasts walls a thousand feet tall and the river is sometimes just twenty to thirty feet wide. Participants experience this at their own pace, setting out with their Brothers and Sisters and a turnaround time.? Venturing at a variety of speeds, some took on the full length of the 10 mile trek to Big Springs and back while others pushed leisurely against the current.? Upon returning to the vans, both groups headed back to the Villa for hamburgers and hot dogs with all the fixings, then met up for their small group Waypoint Reflection Circles. ???????? #WaypointVets #HonorTheFallen TRIP SPECIFIC SPONSORS: Hot Shot's Secret Zion Red Rock Villa @zion-guru Nama-Stay - Vacation & Retreat Village @marine-corps-league CVMA TN 18-1 Alexis Park All-Suites Resort Branch Hill Ohio VFW Post 5354 @bombas Special Thanks to our Ongoing Supporters! Your continued contributions are making these opportunities of healing and camaraderie possible for our Veterans! Hot Shot's Secret Zion Red Rock Villa Gold Eagle Company Rolling Thunder TN Chapter 4 Rolling Thunder, Inc. Chapter 2 Tn Gallatin Elks Lodge 2547 American Veterans Department of Tennessee Ella Ride by Gallatin Roughnecks Roughnecks MC - Lebanon TN Cedar City Crew Chapter Women In Trucking Association Wreaths Across America Caterpillar Inc. Hansen & Adkins Auto Transport 4WARD PROJECT Polk County Chamber of Commerce Archer Van Rentals

MISSION UNDERWAY: ZION RED ROCK 2025! Waypoint Vets kicked off 2025 with our 3rd Annual Zion winter retreat in Rockville, UT! Our Pre-Trip Team hit the ground running with grocery shopping, sorting gear, and assembling our gift bags and our In Memoriam Dog Tags. We are an all volunteer nonprofit, and serving again delivers an unmatched renewed sense of purpose. When the veterans who come to us are brave enough to sign up and SHOW UP, the effects on everyone involved with each trip is consistently transformative. Arrival day has come! Veterans from 4 military branches and 16 different states have arrived safely and are ready to beast, bond, and partake in the majestic yet savage landscapes of the American southwest. After settling in and enjoying a spaghetti family dinner, we gathered for our Opening Reflection Circle. Our Founder, Sarah Lee then handed each veteran their In Memoriam dog tags. This symbolic act sets the tone for the trip and why we all gather ~ to Honor the Fallen by Living. Time for a decent night's rest. The canyons await! ???????? #WaypointVets #HonorTheFallen #EpicHealing #unitedwemend TRIP SPECIFIC SPONSORS: Hot Shot's Secret Zion Guru Nama-Stay - Vacation & Retreat Village Marine Corps League CVMA TN 18-1 Alexis Park All-Suites Resort Branch Hill Ohio VFW Post 5354 Bombas Special Thanks to our Ongoing Supporters! Your continued contributions are making these opportunities of healing and camaraderie possible for our Veterans! Hot Shot's Secret Gold Eagle Company Rolling Thunder TN Chapter 4 Rolling Thunder, Inc. Chapter 2 Tn Gallatin Elks Lodge 2547 American Veterans Department of Tennessee Ella Ride by Gallatin Roughnecks Roughnecks MC - Lebanon TN Cedar City Crew Chapter Women In Trucking Association Wreaths Across America Caterpillar Inc. Hansen & Adkins Auto Transport 4WARD PROJECT Polk County Chamber of Commerce Archer Van Rentals

Eric’s rock # 23-052 was found at the USS Midway Museum in San Diego, CA by museum supervisor Villardo Ortiz. He kindly said he wondered what it was about and who Eric Ward was, and was glad he picked it up and learned Eric’s story and the #End22aday message. ?????? 4WARD Project exists to honor our son, Eric Ward, who was lost to military suicide on August 22, 2016. Eric's story is at www.4wardproject.com. #22aday #4EricWard #4WARDproject #4WARDrocks #honorthefallen @n_ortiz_87

MISSION ACCOMPLISHED: ZION 2024 The final desert wakeup was bittersweet. The group had united in such an impactful way that no one wanted to trip to end. The group started the day with a silent hike back up to “pride rock”. Once at the top, the group circled up and was led into some gentle yoga and morning breathwork. Once back at camp, the group would begin the work of tearing down campsites and preparing for the final circle and drive back to Vegas. The final circle was full of laughter, tears, and gratitude for the last 4 days. The staff recognized all the hard work the veterans did and handed them their certificate of completion and challenge coin, officially welcoming them into the Waypoint Alumni family. It was a moment full of pride and endearment - we now possessed a shared knowing of the healing impact that's possible in Zion. It was time to head back to Vegas and begin the journey home. Our goal is to empower our veterans through adventure, and it is safe to say the mission was accomplished on this trip. The hugs were long as tears were shed and farewells were said. The staff and the participants came together and made core memories out in the desert that will carry them through as they return home and nestle back into their routines. We are eternally grateful to all our sponsors and donors who help make these trips possible. Together we are creating a ripple effect of unity and healing throughout the veteran community!???????? #WaypointVets #HonorTheFallen Thank you to our trip specific sponsors: Zion Guru Cineres Creative LLC Fairfield Inn & Suites by Marriott Virgin Zion National Park Alexis Park Resort Hiwassee/Ocoee State Park Special Thanks to our Ongoing Supporters! Your continued contributions are making these opportunities of healing and camaraderie possible for our Veterans! Hot Shot's Secret Gold Eagle Company Friends and Family CVMA TN 18-1 Rolling Thunder, Inc. Chapter 2 Tn Rolling Thunder TN 4 Gallatin Elks Lodge 2547 American Veterans Department of TN Ella Ride by Gallatin Roughnecks Roughnecks MC - Lebanon TN Cedar City Crew Chapter Women In Trucking Association Wreaths Across America Caterpillar Inc. Hansen & Adkins Auto Transport 4WARD PROJECT Polk County Chamber of Commerce Archer Van Rentals

While in Seattle over Eric’s birthday today, we planned to place another rock somewhere meaningful in the city. We didn’t really have a plan but thought we’d find a beautiful or well-known spot as we usually do when traveling. Something else happened though. After hearing Ben Nemtin of MTV’s The Buried Life speak today about his anxiety and depression, and how it was part of a path that led him to work on living and experiencing items on his unique bucket list, and finding purpose with fulfilling others’ dreams through his amazing journey across the country with friends on The Buried Life, it just felt right to give the rock to him. Ben graciously took the rock and quite a bit of time to hear about Eric and 4WARD Project, for which we are grateful. He said he will definitely place Eric’s rock somewhere out in the world, which will of course help keep the #end22aday message spreading and tell Eric’s story. #4EricWard #4WARDproject #4WARDrocks Rock # 24-038

Eric would have been 28 today. When we think of what he might have become if he were still here, it’s emotional, but we know he would have made a positive impact. More than anything, we miss him and will always love him. ?? #end22aday #4EricWard #4WARDproject

We left rock # 24-054 under the Space Needle in Seattle, Washington. ?? 4WARD Project exists to honor our son, Eric Ward, who was lost to military suicide on August 22, 2016. If you'd like to place a rock for Eric somewhere in the world to help our efforts to stop military/veteran suicide, go to https://lnkd.in/gSQEj-Xx #22aday #4EricWard #4WARDproject #4WARDrocks #honorthefallen