A Marine Corps veteran who is walking all the way around Lake Michigan to raise money for fighting suicides among veterans is now in southwest Michigan. Travis Snyder arrived in St. Joseph Thursday. He started his journey about a month ago in Manistee, went around the U.P. and Wisconsin, passed through Illinois and Indiana, and then hiked into Michigan this week. He told WSJM News he’s passionate about helping struggling veterans.
“I’m just reading every day about men and women, my brothers and sisters that are losing their battles to mental health challenges and to suicidal tendencies, and that number fluctuates,” Snyder said. “Sometimes it’s higher, sometimes it’s lower, but it averages around 20 to 22 veterans lost per day to suicide, and this is the best way I knew how to try to make a difference and raise awareness.”
Snyder’s raising money for Mission 22, a group that helps veterans overcome PTSD, suicidal thoughts, and other challenges. Along the journey, Snyder says he’s been helped out at about every stop. Welcoming Snyder into St. Joe Thursday was a coalition of supporters who provided him with new shoes and a stay for the night.
“The biggest thing I’ve learned is that if you step outside of your box a little bit and take a risk, run in faith, you’ll come back with some good stories of some goodhearted, genuine people that you’ll never forget.”
Snyder will be in South Haven next, and plans to finish his walk around Lake Michigan October 6 with many others joining him for the last stretch back to Manistee. You can find out more about his walk at Facebook.com/TravisHikesAroundLakeMI. Also, you can find the GoFundMe page set up by Snyder for Mission 22 right here.
