A veteran from Ohio is passing through Bend on a mission to raise awareness for PTSD and veteran suicide.
Eli Smith is hoping to hike and bike his way to all four corners of the United States in honor of friends he lost to suicide and to help other veterans struggling with depression and other symptoms of PTSD.
Smith started in Florida in November 2016 and walked his way to San Diego, where the U.S./Mexico border meets the Pacific Ocean, and to Cape Flattery on Washington’s Olympic Peninsula – two of the four corners of the lower 48 U.S. states. After taking a break to avoid winter weather, heal from some knee and back injuries, and to see his family, Smith is back on the road, this time traveling by bike.
After picking up his bike in Las Vegas, Smith is biking back to Seattle where he will pick up his trail and start heading east through Washington and Idaho – aiming for the northeastern corner of the U.S. at the Quoddy Lighthouse in Maine. Along the way, Smith will continue to meet with local veteran and veterans organizations. He hopes to help communities talk about how they can help their local veterans and help struggling veterans find the resources they need close to home.
You can follow Smith’s journey on Instagram @4cornershike on Facebook at Eli Smith 4CornersHike or head to his website at www.4cornershike.org to donate to his trip.
The post Veteran Travels Around the U.S. to Raise Awareness
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