| | Published September 11th, 2013
| Continuing to Care
Second annual 'Trekking for the Troops' hopes to raise money, awareness for wounded vets
| |  | | Orinda resident Jake Martin (fourth from left, striped shirt) on a training hike with Sigma Nu brothers from UC Davis. Photo provided
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Starting Sept. 13, Orinda resident Jake Martin, who is currently a student at UC Davis studying political science and communication, and 14 other members of his Sigma Nu fraternity will set out on a 100-mile, 11-day hike to raise $15,000 for the Pathway Home, a rehabilitation organization that works with wounded veterans to help them regain their physical, mental, and emotional strengths. The trek will end by the group summiting Mount Whitney in honor of returned veterans. Each fraternity brother has pledged to raise $1,000 for the Pathway Home, doubling the efforts from last year's trek.
"Recently, I was shocked to find out that a third of our veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan experience some degree of Post Traumatic Stress or Traumatic Brain injury, and that every day an average of 18 veterans commit suicide," Martin wrote in a letter to family and friends. "Many of these veterans try to cope with their symptoms from PTSD with alcohol abuse, drug abuse, and spousal abuse. One of Sigma Nu's values is service, where we strive to develop our members through servant leadership while benefitting the community. This is why we created this program dedicated to a balanced service of both donation of time and talents to local organizations. Sigma Nu at UC Davis and The Pathway Home have joined efforts and, throughout the year, we are raising money and awareness to treat these symptoms and safely reintegrate these brave soldiers back into society."
Over the past 4-year period, the Pathway Home, located in Yountville in Napa County, has served 305 warriors and helped over 130 families cope with our returning warriors combat-related stress, PTSD, and mental issues arising from traumatic brain injuries. For information about Pathway Home, visit www.thepathwayhome.org.
J. Wake
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Lamorinda Weekly, Moraga CA