Intrepid Veterans to Row Across Atlantic Ocean for Charity

Four veterans from different branches of the military – who call themselves “Foar from Home” — are rowing across the Atlantic Ocean to raise awareness for PTSD and the endemic of veteran suicides. And, they need your help.

Billy Cimino, a U.S. Army veteran, Cameron Hansen, a U.S. Air Force veteran, U.S. Navy veteran A.M. “Hupp” Huppmann and Paul Lore, a U.S. Marine Corps veteran, will be rowing 4769 kilometers across the Atlantic, from the Canary Islands in the Caribbean Sea to Antigua.

The Talister Whiskey Atlantic Challenge, a premier event in ocean rowing, begins in early December with 30-40 row teams participating from around the world. The men will battle sleep deprivation, hunger and even hallucinations as they row through the choppy Atlantic Ocean.

Raising awareness of the epidemic of veteran suicides is a key motivation for “Foar from Home.”

“It’s an international race with 36 boats, everyone is racing for their own cause,” said Lore. Lore’s team is not in it for the race aspect, instead they’re just hoping to raise enough money for the causes they’re supporting.

The men have chosen to donate to the Cross the Line Foundation, a not-for-profit organization that supports veterans from all branches of service by raising awareness of veteran-related issues and causes. They are also supporting K9 for Warriors, the nation’s largest provider of service dogs for veterans. K9s for Warriors gets highly-trained service dogs for vets who are suffering from issues like PTSD, traumatic brain injury or military sexual trauma. The majority of the dogs come from high-kill animal shelters.

Members of the “Foar from Home” team with service dog fundraisers “K9s for Warriors.”

Lore and his team already cut a check for $50,000 to deliver to the Cross the Line Foundation to help build a scholarship endowment.

“Another $50,000 went toward a down payment to help construct a dog kennel to support the training of 64 service dogs,” Lore said. “The kennel will take $500,000 to construct and we’ve already raised over $600,000, however we still have a ways to go.”

U.S. Marine Corps veteran Paul Lore of “Foar Away from Home.”

Lore explained that operating costs are nearly $200,000 to get his team to the Canary Islands and back to Antigua in the boat. “It’s pretty amazing, four ordinary guys have done this extraordinary effort already, raising half a million dollars,” he added.

Lore was grateful for the community support of the causes, saying that his team was not driven by any big company (not that they wouldn’t take an offer!), but instead are very community-driven with help from mom-and-pop shops in the area.

They even moved beyond Florida to Atlanta and Charlotte for fundraising.

“We’ve done everything from riding bikes to Jacksonville to cooking with bourbon and bacon to dog contests,” Lore said.

Right now, the team has 2,200 of 3,000 miles left for sponsorship at $100 per mile. If they can get all of the miles sponsored, the kennel becomes what Lore called a “no-brainer.” “It would really solidify it for us,” he added.

The team’s boat is in the process of being shipped to the Canary Islands. They fly out this Friday and on Dec. 12 they will actually push off from the dock and 40-50 days later, end up in Antigua.

The “Foar from Home” team has a strong social media presence and are active on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. If you’re interested in donating, you can do so here: https://foarfromhome.com/donate/.