Fernandina Beach veterans to row 3,000 miles to raise money to fight veteran suicide

FERNANDINA BEACH, Fla. — More than 6,000 veterans die by suicide each year, according to the VA. That grim statistic has touched the lives of four veterans from Fernandina Beach, and it’s partly why they’re preparing for the journey of a lifetime.

Cameron Hansen, Paul Lore, “Hupp” Huppman and Billy Cimino will row over 3,000 miles of the cold, rough waters of the Atlantic Ocean starting Dec. 12.

“If every one of us was rowing for veteran suicide, it still wouldn’t be enough. Until that number is zero, there’s not enough focus on it,” Hansen said.

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Their goal is simple: raise money and awareness to fight veteran suicide and PTSD.

Calling themselves “Foar From Home” (purposely spelled “foar” to include the word “oar” and represent the four men), they’re among dozens of teams that will be rowing in the Talisker Whiskey Atlantic Challenge.

“We started the idea of doing this almost two years ago. Shortly after that, we got a CrossFit trainer back home,” Huppman said. “Got a plan to help us really go from four guys with an idea to four guys who are physically capable.”

It’ll take them close to 50 days to row from the Canary Islands to Antigua. With each mile, they raise money for organizations that help veterans.

Some of that money will go to K9s for Warriors, where a large kennel will be built to house and train 64 dogs, giving veterans lifesaving companions much sooner.

“We have about 2,100 miles left, and it’s only at the $100 level. If we can find 2,100 folks, we will meet our goal,” Lore said.

It’s the biggest challenge of their lives, and they wouldn’t have it any other way.

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“It’s been such a long journey to get to this point. For me, it’s electric. I’m so excited to be here,” Huppman added.

If you’d like to sponsor a mile, you can get involved here.

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