FORTY FORT, Pa. — Going the extra mile to help veterans in need, U.S. Army veteran Jimmy Thomas started a 4,000-mile trek last September, kayaking from upstate New York to Key West Florida.
Now he's biking his way back to his home, about 20 minutes outside Albany, New York.
"I feel I would be more crazy to not do this, knowing what I know about vets and the services they need that they may not be getting. I'd be crazy to know what I know and not help," said Jimmy Thomas with Doggie Paddle for Veterans.
Newswatch 16 caught up with Thomas as he pedaled through Forty Fort on Wyoming Avenue.
While in the Army, Thomas was with the military police. He later suffered from PTSD and stress-induced seizures. His service dog, a golden retriever named Boots, helped him cope.
"I got all of that for free. I thought, 'Oh, my God, what a huge difference it made in my life.' I could continue working; I could drive. He would recognize whether I was going to have a seizure hours before I would have one," explained Thomas.
The ride is a way for Thomas to raise money to provide service dogs to veterans. He's raising money through the Glenville Rotary Foundation's Doggy Paddle for Veterans.
He wants other people to be able to get the help he did without the price tag.
"Higher-end service dogs, the training is part of the expense, and it could easily cost $75,000. So, people always want to know, 'How much did you raise?' The answer is it's never enough," said Thomas.
Throughout his travels, he's connected with many fellow veterans and military families who share stories of their own challenges.
"There's a lot more people connected that just don't talk about that as part of their everyday life, so knowing that I'm doing this to help other vets, they get pretty emotional. And when they do, I do."
Thomas expects to arrive back in upstate New York next Saturday, February 4.
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