Veteran Raises $1,400 by Running for Other Veterans in Need: ‘Every Dime Helps’

A Nebraska veteran is raising money for other veterans in need by running four miles around his hometown every four hours.

Shelby Orr, of North Platte, and his wife, Jen, served in the Air Force and are now looking for ways to give back to that community. So Shelby Orr began running Friday as a way to raise awareness for a group called “Vets Helping Heroes.”

As of Sunday afternoon, he has raised $1,550 on his GoFundMe page for the organization.

“We decided to help Vets Helping Heroes,” Orr told KNOP. “It’s a nonprofit that helps service members and vets get service working dogs. Completely free of charge to the vet. It usually costs $40,000-$60,000 to train a service dog. So every dime helps.”

The nonprofit was founded by a World War II veteran in 2008 and has raised more than $8 million to this day.

When Orr goes on his four-mile runs, he always carries an American flag with him. Orr said he felt inspired to help out the organization, given how much money it costs to train a service dog.