ROCKFORD, Ill. — A Rockford man’s mission of building a one-of-a-kind adaptive sports campus for disabled veterans in neighboring Poplar Grove got some much-deserved attention with the hometown premiere of “Sum Function.”
“Sum Function,” a movie directed by Rockford-area native and Marine Corps veteran Noah Currier, follows the lives of disabled veterans — members of a wheelchair rugby team — as they fight for access in a world not designed for people with disabilities.
A few hundred people attended a May 30 showing of the film at Hard Rock Casino Rockford to show their support for Currier’s Oscar Mike Foundation and learn about the film that’s already drawn national acclaim at film festivals.
It’s earned the Audience Choice Award for Best Feature Documentary at the Annapolis Film Festival before additional screenings at the Beverly Hills Film Festival and WorldFest-Houston International Film Festival, where it received further honors.
The team plans to continue submitting the film through the 2026 festival season.
“Tonight was just the beginning,” Currier said. “We’re dialing it in, and who knows what that does during the rest of the film festival season in 2026.”
A community on the move
The red-carpet event at Rockford’s Hard Rock Live included a full screening and a live Q&A with Currier and members of the cast.
The cast spoke about the importance of both resilience and belonging, two key tenets of the Oscar Mike, which takes its name from military jargon for “on the move.”
“You are who you label yourself to be,” said Karah Behrand, one of several veterans featured in the film. “Oscar Mike — on the move — pretty much says it all. You don’t have to figure it all out at once, but as long as you keep moving, you figure it out along the way.”
‘It starts here in Rockford’
The Oscar Mike Foundation continues to work toward its most ambitious project yet — construction of a first-of-its-kind adaptive sports and residential facility, designed to expand the foundation’s ability to serve injured veterans by more than tenfold.
More than $12 million has been raised toward the $20 million capital campaign. Funds come from online donations, a monthly giving program and other contributions.
“When we hit 100%, we’re going to break the ground, and this community is going to be the hub for where everybody with disabilities like ours are going to improve their lives,” Currier said. “It starts here in Rockford.”
More than 7,000 adaptive opportunities
Since its founding, Oscar Mike has served more than 1,500 severely disabled veterans and provided more than 7,000 adaptive opportunities.
Programs include weeklong retreats where veterans skydive, ride horses, go off-roading, learn to fly planes and complete obstacle courses, with each retreat culminating in an adaptive triathlon.
“We provide more than 7,000 adaptive opportunities,” Currier said, “and all the veterans are better served.”
For more information on the Oscar Mike Foundation or to support the campus campaign, visit oscarmike.org.
Jack Ivanic is a freelance contributor to the Rockford Register Star.
This article originally appeared on Rockford Register Star: Oscar Mike founder fuels adaptive campus dream with award-winning film
Reporting by Jack Ivanic, Special to the Rockford Register Star / Rockford Register Star
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
