Together We Rise held a First Responders Raffle and Relay at Bryant Commons Park last Saturday, June 18.

The event featured a multitude of organizations including Margie’s Southern Cooking, Big Dawg Hotdogs, Koffee Cafe, Barkalicious, Elite Roofing, Color Street Nails, Yoshukai Karate, Holtzman Insurance, Sticker Dawg, Mission 22, the Girl Scouts and the VFW.

Kat Arnsdorff, president and founder of Together We Rise, was in attendance and told of her mission for the event.

“We’re out here for a relay and a fundraiser,” she said. “We’re trying to expand out here in Hinesville and get with the police and the fire departments and the schools (to promote) education and prevention.”

Arnsdorff said Together We Rise is also sponsoring families in the area for medical supplies, food, clothing and other items burn victims need for their treatment.

Together We Rise has hosted multiple events over the past year. Their goal is to expand as much as possible. All the proceeds from the event will benefit burn victims in Georgia.

Arnsdorff wants to make sure that there is a place for burn victims like herself, and she also hopes that survivors she has talked to will have a place to go.

“It is up to us to make sure that we get this off the ground, that we continue to get the awareness … spread,” she said.

Yoshukai Karate, located in Midway, was there doing a karate demonstration, but also to help raise awareness for burn victims and to lend a hand with the fundraiser. This was the second time the organization has been involved with a Together We Rise event.

“We were here last year and we had a great turnout,” said Justin Mc-Clarran, sensei at Yoshukai Karate. “A lot of the spectators and kids loved seeing what they saw, and it gave them a sense of belonging.”

McClarran was inspired by the opportunity to give back to the community.

“It kind of hits the heartstrings and made me realize that we can benefit someone else,” he said.

Holtzman Insurance was one of the many sponsoring businesses.

“Our people are very involved in the community,” said Kathy Welch, broker and owner of Holtzman. “We like to support everybody here and help out the responders and fire department and the burn victims.”

Mission 22, a 5013 C nonprofit organization that helps veterans dealing with PTSD, was also there. “Our mission is to provide our veterans these programs that give them help once they come back from overseas,” said Ken Bohannon, Georgia State Leader for Mission 22.

As a veteran himself, Bohannon can attest to the struggles of having to readjust to everyday life after returning home, and he said he wants to provide an environment of support.

“We become isolated in our own little world and we don’t get out,” he said. “To do the programs that they choose and to give them a mission or purpose once they get home.” Bohannon said he became involved with Mission 22 after losing his son to suicide and struggling to cope with the tragedy. He found support from Mission 22, who allowed him to tell his story as well as his son’s.