Veteran rides bike nearly 500 miles for other veterans

ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. — Avid cyclist Dave Parramore geared up and headed out for another long ride Friday.

He told Action News Jax the trip is even more important because it’s for his fellow veterans.

The 26-year Army veteran said his transition to civilian life wasn’t seamless.“ It occurred to me that we have tremendous, tremendous skill sets in the military, but making that transition from military to civilian life and making it fit in the business world takes a little bit of coaching,” he described.

According to Parramore, there are 37,000 homeless veterans in the United States. He said former military members make up 8% of the homeless population here in Florida.

Parramore explained they’re why he’s cycling nearly 500 miles from St. Augustine Beach to Key West. “I wanted to connect in a direct way with people along the east coast, so, it was that personal connection,” he said.

He explained his plan is to travel about 50 miles a day.

The retired soldier is partnering with the Wounded Warrior Project.

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Parramore said his goal is to spark conversation about how veterans can become successful outside the armed forces.“The population is very resilient so they have all the raw materials to be successful in a civilian market it just takes a little bit of coaching,” he said.

He’s expected to arrive in Key West on Feb. 11.

Viewers can follow along with his trip using the hashtag: #StA2KeyWest on Instagram.

You can donate to his ride to help the Wounded Warrior Project here.

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