Celebrities Are Doing Pushups To Raise Awareness For Veterans’ Mental Health Initiatives

You may have noticed a new trend showing up on your social media feeds as people have been recording videos of themselves doing 22 pushups and then challenging their friends to do the same. But the reason behind it isn’t just to build strength or show off; rather, it’s to raise awareness, show compassion, and demonstrate support for members of the military who are suffering from mental health issues.

Similar to the Ice Bucket Challenge, which fostered awareness and fundraising for ALS research, the 22 Pushup Challenge is the latest viral way to use Facebook, Instagram or Twitter for a good cause. The number of pushups comes from a harrowing statistic that 22 veterans commit suicide on average, per day. Which is noted on the website 22kill.com, which describes its mission as “a global movement bridging the gap between veterans and civilians to build a community of support.” The organization works to raise awareness to the suicide epidemic and educate the public on mental health issues including Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.

Over the past couple days, the movement has gained momentum, thanks in part to celebrities who have joined the cause. The above video shows adorable married couple Chris Pratt and Anna Faris, who offer sincere thanks to veterans for their service before doing 22 pushups together and challenging a few of their famous friends to do the same. Faris comically falters and flops to the ground after doing 19, but she gets back up and completes the task while her husband offers words of encouragement.

Here are a few others doing pushups for the cause, including John Krasinski and The Rock.

https://twitter.com/vincentdonofrio/status/764493829605122048

You can also read more about the movement on Facebook.

(Via EW)