A New Jersey teen is gearing up to run an ultra-marathon next month to raise money for a nonprofit that supports veterans, who the teen says “have put their blood, sweat and tears into fighting for our freedoms.”
Back in November, high school student Mike Ferrara began his 20-week training program in preparation for the Pistol Creek Ultra-Marathon this March in Alcoa, Tennessee, to raise money for the nonprofit VetREST, Fox News reports.
Ferrara has been running the frigid New Jersey sidestreets to prepare for the daunting 50-mile marathon, according to the outlet. Though his water bottle often freezes and a shivering cold sometimes radiates through his limbs, he has not lost sight of what he is training for.
“Breathing in the cold air has caused me to panic, but staying calm and remembering why I am doing this keeps me going,” he told Fox News.
Ferrara met VetREST CEO Lt Col. Robert F. Vicci last year, which led to the pair teaming up for the Pistol Creek Ultra Marathon next month, according to Fox News. Vicci served in the military for 34 years.
VetREST’s mission “is to mentor veterans while providing farming opportunity in safe and supportive environments where they can achieve wellness themselves and produce healthy food for our nation,” its website states.
Donations to VetREST can be made on Eventbrite through the day of the race. Purchasing “tickets” are donations to the cause and not tickets to the actual event, Ferrara told Fox News.
Vicci told Fox News that the funds will be used to “help a veteran or a veteran and their family with either assisting to build a new home in partnership with another charity or we will use the funds to help several veterans who are struggling with the effects of PTSD.”
Ferrara believes he will finish the race, which begins at 8:00 p.m. on March 19, in anywhere from eight to ten hours, he told Fox News.
“I really do want to help the veterans of our country,” Ferrara told Fox News. “They have put their blood, sweat and tears into fighting for our freedoms and for them to end up on the streets I think is totally unacceptable.”
He is no stranger to working with nonprofits that strive to assist veterans. He ran the Marine Corps Marathon last year to fundraise for Colorado-based nonprofit Houses for Warriors, according to Fox News. The organization helps homeless and vulnerable veterans with housing while also assisting with home repairs and renovations for injured veterans to help with accessibility needs, its website states.