Since 2008, Helping Hands For Freedom, a 501c3 non-profit, has been helping military families dealing with death, deployment and loss.
However, the 2015 Lincoln Award recipient will be undertaking its largest project to date this year, as Route For The Brave kicks off on April 28th.
The 3,091 mile walk begins in Atlantic City, NJ and will end on Aug. 26 in San Francisco, Cal., with the purpose of raising funds for the construction of a #HouseOfHealing and PTSD center for military families.
Helping Hands For Freedom Chairman of the Board David Roth and volunteer Kevin Winton will be walking across the country.
“I am willing to walk or die on this one, and it signified what is great about America,” said Roth, who is a 20-plus year veteran of the Indianapolis Metro Police Department.
The concept of the Route For The Brave came after Roth watched his own stepson reconnect with family after multiple deployments.
“Nothing breaks your heart more than trying to reintroduce children to their parent when they come back from being deployed. I am 40-something, and in the grind of my life. There is a desire and a push to do one big adventure, and what better way than to do this,” Roth said.
Winton is a veteran educator, teaching math at Indiana’s Beech Grove Middle School.
“The volunteer work for the program has gone from volunteering at minor events to walking 3,091 miles. Besides the legacy of your children, there are rare opportunities for you to participate in an event that has a lasting impact on those you may never meet,” Winton said.
For more information on Route For The Brave, visit www.routeforthebrave.org.