HAMPTON, VA (WAVY) — Dan Griner wanted to make good on a promise he made to himself when he retired from the Marines in 2023.

“The answer was in front of me the whole time. I came up with the idea of Strike Against Suicide, Spare a Life. So it’s fitting. It’s a catching phrase,” Griner said.

Griner is a co-owner at Xtreme Performance Pro Shop in Hampton, which is located inside Century Lanes. He started a non-for profit called ‘Strike Against Suicide, Spare a Life’ which was designed to help Hampton Roads-based service members feel the sense of community that helps them out of a potentially dark place.

According to the Department of Defense, there was an increase in active duty suicide rates from 2022-2023. Once Griner noticed those numbers, it was time to take action.

“Once you leave that counseling session, what else is out there for you? Those extracurricular activities are a way of mitigating some of those stresses that are out there to give stress relief,” Griner said.

“The idea behind it is if I can encourage veterans, I can encourage active duty guys and gals, get off the ship, get out of their barracks, get out of their homes, come to the bowling center. Have fun, have stress relief, have a peer interaction where you’re not sitting at home and doing something or making a decision later that night that you can not take back,” said Griner.

The Facebook group has already grown to over 1,400 followers from around the country. You can find it here.

If you or a loved one are struggling with a mental health crisis, you are not alone. You can find resources with the Suicide Hotline here.