Mountain America Sponsors Central Utah’s ‘United We Stand’ Event to Support Veterans and Law Enforcement

Hundreds of people attended the Mountain America-sponsored event in Gunnison; the two-day event included a patriotic procession and gut check

GUNNISON, Utah — On Friday and Saturday, September 9-10, 2022, the Gunnison Gut Check presented by United We March and sponsored by Mountain America Credit Union, in partnership with other community entities, unfolded in Central Utah with hundreds of people in attendance to help raise funds for men and women in uniform.

“My love of veterans, law enforcement and first responders, it just enveloped into this,” said Justen Mellor, founder of United We March. Mellor, who grew up in Gunnison, established the non-profit organization in 2018 and carried out the first gut check event. A gut check is an immersive event that creates an environment where participants experience the mental and physical demands that soldiers face. The money raised is distributed to local and national organizations that extend a help these groups.

“My personal feelings of a gut check are not quitting no matter how hard the mental and physical challenges are, like what we endure in our daily lives,” said Mellor.

Each year, the two-day event includes a patriotic procession, auction, motivational speakers and a gut check. Mellor, who is also a Mountain America Credit Union member, said that Ephraim branch manager Michelle Brazell and her team members were the first group to donate money and support the veteran-driven charity when it began several years ago. Since then, the organization has raised more than $100,000 with approximately $4,000 donated by Mountain America.

“Anything that helps support our veterans, those that have fought for freedoms, we jumped at the chance to be able to do something for them since they've done so much for us,” said Brazell.

On the event’s second day, Brazell and Mountain America team members from Richfield and Ephraim handed out water and snacks to the event’s participants, including Adam Francis, a 37-year-old veteran from Norwich, New York.

“There is something very special about an individual or group of individuals that care and they do not have to,” said Francis. “To see this many people and especially a credit union, it means that there are still people that care. That is life changing.”

To learn more or donate to United We March, visit their official Facebook page here. To learn more about Mountain America Credit Union, visit https://www.macu.com.

With more than 1 million members and $14 billion in assets, Mountain America Credit Union helps its members define and achieve their financial dreams. Mountain America provides consumers and businesses with a variety of convenient, flexible products and services, as well as sound, timely advice. Members enjoy access to secure, cutting-edge mobile-banking technology; 100 branches across six states; and more than 50,000 surcharge-free ATMs. Mountain America—guiding you forward. Learn more at macu.com.

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