Clay Hunt’s Legacy within Team Rubicon
“No matter how great or small your service is, it is desired and needed by the world we live in today.”
Seven years ago, we lost Clay. We reflect on his lasting impact and the legacy across our growing organization. As one of our original members, he help sparked the evolution of what is now 75,000 men and women committed to service. Clay left us with a message we strive to uphold:
“If I had one thing to say to my fellow veterans, it would be this: Continue to serve, even though we have taken off our uniforms. No matter how great or small your service is, it is desired and needed by the world we live in today. Volunteer to mow your elderly neighbor’s lawn for them. Spend a day at a soup kitchen helping feed the homeless, many of whom are veterans themselves. Work on a trail maintenance project. Start a service organization. It doesn’t matter what it is, it only matters that you are continuing to put others before yourself, just like you did when you were in the military. Actions like that are the only sure ways to bring about the positive social change that our country and our world need so badly these days.”
When Team Rubicon became an established 501(c)(3) in 2010, our mission was to deploy skilled, experienced military veterans and medical professionals to disaster zones abroad. From 2010–2011, we deployed to Haiti, South Sudan, the Thai/Burma border, Pakistan, and Chile. And when we lost Clay in 2011, we recognized a need to engage our veterans and serve our communities right here at home. Today, of the 240+ operations we’ve launched since inception, roughly 90% were conducted in the U.S.
Team Rubicon also developed a year-long fellowship in Clay’s name, inviting veterans to heal and challenge themselves through continued service. As of March 31, 2018, five cohorts have graduated from the Clay Hunt Fellows Program with the sixth and seventh cohorts set to simultaneously take part in the program this year.
We asked our Fellows to share how Clay Hunt has impacted their lives.
Cal Verdin: U.S. Army Veteran — Cohort 1
JJ Selvig: U.S. Marine Corps Veteran — Cohort 4
Jon Connors: USMC Veteran — Cohort 3
Jerome Deniz: U.S. Navy Veteran — Cohort 3
Traci Rankin: U.S. Army Veteran — Cohort 5
Danielle Gilbert: U.S. Army Veteran — Cohort 3
Clay’s legacy will continue to live on through Fellows, Greyshirts, supporters, and the greater veteran community. He instilled an unrivaled spirit of service we will carry out in our everyday lives.