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Stories of Service: 4 veterans rowing across Atlantic Ocean to raise awareness about PTSD, veteran suicide

Rowers will row for 2 hours, and sleep for 2 hours, constantly, 24 hours a day. The waves the rowers will experience can measure up to 20 feet high.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Four local veterans are about to embark on an intense journey.

Billy Cimino, Cameron Hansen, Hupp Huppman and Paul Lore represent four branches of the military: Army, Air Force, Navy and Marines.

They have been friends for years, and they're about to row 3,000 miles across the Atlantic Ocean in the month of December to raise money for veterans and awareness for PTSD and veteran suicide. They're specifically raising money for the K9s for Warriors program.

RELATED: First Coast News helps raise more than $790,000 for K9s For Warriors

Their rowing group is called "Foar from Home," a play on words combining “four,” “far” and “oar." They are participating in a worldwide rowing fundraiser, known as the "world's toughest row." Only two teams from Florida are participating.

Rowers will row for 2 hours, and sleep for 2 hours, constantly, 24 hours a day. The waves the rowers will experience can measure up to 20 feet high. There is no toilet on board. Rowers use a bucket!

"One person in Billy's family had a shirt. It was something about it takes a real idiot to row across the ocean. So, that shirt kind of triggered us doing a fundraiser," Paul Lore said.

Jokes aside, they are doing this for a good cause. As veterans, they realize the importance of helping a fellow brother or sister in need.

"They need that support system, because the people that they left behind overseas aren't there for their support, and the people that they left before they went in the military no longer know how to relate to them. So, just any help and support that they can get is always going to be much needed," Cameron Hansen explained.

They're leaving Friday, Nov. 26 and flying to the Canary Islands. They will row for nearly 50 days. If you would like to support them on their journey or make a donation, you can sponsor a specific mile by clicking here.

If you have a story of service to share, email us at storiesofservice@firstcoastnews.com.

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