Miami Beach police officers do pushups to bring awareness to veterans who commit suicide

MIAMI BEACH, Fla. – Miami Beach police officers dropped down to do 22 pushups Thursday to represent the 22 veterans who commit suicide each day.

"Today, we're here to bring awareness to the 22 veterans who commit suicide each day. At the Miami Beach Police Department, we're all going to do 22 pushups simultaneously to again bring awareness to the 22 veterans and support them," Miami Beach police spokesman Ernesto Rodriguez said.

Capt. Paul Acosta led the group in the exercise before police challenged Miami police and Miami Beach Fire Rescue to also complete 22 pushups to bring awareness to the fallen veterans.

The 22 Pushup Challenge has spread throughout social media, and many people, from police departments to celebrities to everyday citizens, have completed the challenge.

Honor Courage Commitment Inc. started the #22KILL movement in 2013 after learning about the alarming statistic.

The organization's goal is to get the public to do a total of 22 million pushups to raise awareness for veteran suicide prevention through education and empowerment. 

Click here for more information about the movement and how people can help.