CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — A local veteran is encouraging his fellow service members to get outdoors for their mental health.
In a joint effort with the Corpus Christi Downtown Lions Club, The new nonprofit, Whiskey Juliette, will host a ruck event Sunday for veterans' mental health awareness.
Ernest Tellez is a former Army infantryman and founder of Whiskey Juliette. He explained what rucking is.
"Essentially a ruck is just a walk with a backpack and some type of weight in it," Tellez said.
But how does rucking help with mental health?
"It helps just promote exercise. So when you exercise, it helps release endorphins. I'm not an expert on all that, but those feel-good feelings," Tellez said.
The goal, he said, is simple: be outside in nature and unplug.
"No technology, no screen time, no civilization. You can just focus on yourself, focus on just being," Tellez said.
Tellez said he hopes this rucking event is just the beginning for Whiskey Juliette.
"It being South Texas, and having access to Laguna Madre and the Bay, we're trying to get more kayaking and canoeing and down south towards the ranches," Tellez said.
Tellez is trying to raise funds and find donors for those future events, which he aims to kick off in summer 2026.
"Travel expenses, food for when they're there. Equipment if special equipment is needed for hiking or even these kayaks and canoes. We're going to be providing them. Not the veterans," Tellez said.
He understands how crucial it is to make these gatherings free for veterans.
"So here in the Coastal Bend — hopefully I'm not the only one feeling it — it's hard to find a job that I'm specialized in that pays more than $12 an hour," Tellez said.
The rucking event will take place Sunday, Oct. 12, at 9:30 a.m. at Cole Park.
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