About this Event
21+
🎖️ Veterans VS Everybody RECESS
Saturday, November 14 | 2:00 to 6:00 PM | Laurel Hills Park, Raleigh
Veterans vs. civilians. The competition that will settle it once and for all!
At our last Veterans VS Everybody Recess, the civilians took home the gold. 🥇
Now the veterans want a rematch, and the trash talk is already underway.
Come for a friendly day of competition, camaraderie, and gratitude for service.
🏆 Veterans vs Civilian Co-ED COMPETITIONS
- Capture the Guidon (our new co-ed mix of Capture the Flag and Tag): Each team defends a Lego-style fort (that YOU build!). Every player wears a flag belt. Snatch an opponent's flag to send them out of the game! Make it back inside your fort and you're safe. To win, you must capture the other team's guidon and bring it back to your fort. Games are 15 minutes each, and the first team to win 2 out of 3 takes it.
- Push-Up Contest: 1 minute, 5 people per team. Combined score wins! 💪
- Sumo Wars: Big suits, bigger laughs. Last team standing wins!
- Musical Chairs
- Tug-o-War: Best 2 out of 3.
- Spades: Game to 150. ♠️
🎈 Play All Day
Between competitions, there's something for everyone: yard games, card and board games, bubbles, and more. Come play, relax, and meet somebody new.
🧺 Bring Your Picnic
Bring your own picnic food, enough to share! Let's make it a true community potluck-style afternoon.
🎉 Grand Finale: The Silly String Fight
To close out recess season, we're ending with the ultimate silly string showdown.
Gratitude Zone
After the final game, we'll spend the evening thanking our veterans for their honorable service.
💛 Why Veterans vs. EVERYBODY Recess Matters
Honoring veterans doesn't always have to look like a parade or a formal ceremony.
Sometimes, it can look like play, laughter, competition, and community.
For one afternoon, we create a space where veterans and civilians can connect through the things that make us human: teamwork, belonging, fun, friendly competition, and having somebody beside you.
Leaving the military and re-entering civilian life can be daunting. Veterans can lose the built-in structure, sense of purpose, camaraderie, and community that came with service.
Some of the challenges include:
- Loneliness and isolation: Going from a tight-knit unit to not knowing your neighbors can be a hard adjustment.
- Loss of purpose and identity: Who are you when the uniform comes off?
- Translating our skills: Getting civilian employers to understand what our experience is worth.
- Navigating benefits and care: Figuring out the VA, healthcare, and resources on your own.
- Feeling misunderstood: Civilian life moves at a different pace, and sometimes it's difficult to explain what you've experienced.
Veterans vs. EVERYBODY Recess creates a different kind of bridge. And you don't need a formal ceremony to say thank you.
🤝 Let's Partner
We're looking to partner with veteran resources, organizations, and service providers. If you offer support in employment, healthcare, mental wellness, housing, benefits assistance, or peer connection, we'd love to have you join us, set up a table, and connect with the veterans in our community.
If you are a veteran organization interested in being a resource vendor, contact us!
PARKING IS LIMITED: CARPOOLING AND RIDESHARE HIGHLY SUGGESTED!
Event venue & nearby stays
Laurel Hills Park, 3808 Edwards Mills Rd, Raleigh, United States
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