Russell Larkins In Colorado, In Middle Of Cross-Country Run To Raise Awareness For Struggling Vets

(CBS4) - A North Carolina man who founded a nonprofit that helps struggling veterans is in Colorado this week as he makes a grueling run across a large portion of America. Russell Larkins, a veteran himself, is using his physical training to go approximately 50 miles per day and often runs for hours with little to no sleep. The goal is to raise $100,000 for the Semper Fi Foundation which helps former Marines like Larkins.

"When I first started, it was focused toward veterans that were affected by coronavirus but as I moved along, I ran into veterans that were struggling way before coronavirus," Larkins said during an interview with a CBS4 crew in the high country. "Twenty veterans commit suicide every day and I'm raising awareness for that. And just raising funds for veterans that are struggling financially."

So far he's raised $35,000 through sponsorships. He'll be making stops in Leadville and Aspen on Thursday and his his service dog Storm is helping him along with his wife, who plays the role of his support team captain.

You can follow his progress and find out how you can help on the Facebook page Run Russell Run.

Larkins is the founder of Veterans For Good.