Rod Wittmier wants to do something special to commemorate the 10th anniversary of September 11 - something special, something big and, most importantly, something that brings the community together to fight the problem of veteran suicide. 

"We want everyone to come together for the 9-11 event," said Wittmier. "We want everyone to come together and become aware of the huge problem our veterans face."

Wittmier is the founder of VetsMeetVets, a local organization formed with the goal of ending veteran suicide. According to Wittmier, a United States military veteran commits suicide every eighty minutes. But Wittmier doesn't see veteran suicide as a problem solved solely by veterans themselves. He believes it's a problem best solved by the community that surrounds them.

"If communities became aware and concerned with the problem of veteran suicide, it would go a long, long way in helping our warriors get through their struggles," he said.

Raising community awareness is the number one priority for VetsMeetVets' upcoming September 11 commemoration event, Together We Stand.

The event, which will be held Sept. 11 at 7 p.m. at the Temple Theater in Tacoma, will feature prominent musical acts like former Beach Boys member Dr. Chuck Stevens and Billboard-recognized vocalist Tey Punsalan. Together We Stand is a fundraising event, with all proceeds going to benefit VetsMeetVets' mission to end veteran suicide.  

Wittmier sees the event as a musical night out both for veterans and the community that surrounds them.  "Together We Stand is as much for the veterans as it is for the community that has little clue about veteran suicide," he said "We want every warm heart in the building to become aware that we are losing our veterans one every eighty minutes."

The producer of the Together We Stand event, Tony La Stella, believes music is the perfect medium to help raise awareness and hope.  

"The right music can encourage Americans to help other Americans," he said.

La Stella is the director of the America Be Strong Project, a project bespeaking the heroism of the American response to September 11 through music. He and the America Be Strong Project connected with VetsMeetVets earlier this year, and he has been instrumental in choosing the performers for Together We Stand, as well as preparing to film the event with the goal of a potential PBS special in mind.

"Not only are we hoping to reach the local community," said La Stella. "We want to reach a national audience as well."

La Stella encourages individuals to jump at the opportunity to buy tickets for the Together We Stand event, given that the proceeds will help VetsMeetVets, a non-profit organization.  He also thinks people will thoroughly enjoy themselves at the event - enjoy themselves while still coming away with the message that community involvement is crucial in supporting struggling veterans.  

"The more people we get into the theater, the more people that hear the message," said La Stella.

Tickets and a full list of acts for the Together We Stand event are available at www.togetherwestand.org. Tickets are also available over the phone at (800) 604-8260. Regular ticket price is $28.