TAMPA, Fla. — It's been almost a week since the nation celebrated Veterans Day, but helping our veterans is something we should do every day.
This weekend there's an event to raise money for a group that helps active military members transition to civilian life.
The group is called OTS 4 Vets. OTS stands for Offering Transitional Services. It was started because so many veterans and their families know how tough it can be transitioning from military to civilian life.
Brian Gordon is a retired Marine and now works as a firearms trainer in Tampa. He knows firsthand how challenging it is to get back to basics after military service.
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So Gordon helped develop OTS 4 Vets, helping to connect veterans to moral support, guidance and camaraderie.
"I just remember how difficult it was for me transitioning from the Marine Corps to being a civilian and I wanted to be in a position to be able to help veterans make that transition a little bit easier for them," he said.
Gary Hartfield is the founder of All Hart Foundation and is one of the race sponsors. He says helping our veterans is essential all year long.
"We wanted to implement opportunities for change, we wanted to implement programming that really spoke to substance and helping to peel back the layers of opportunity here in the region," Hartfield said.
This weekend's event is at Ben T. Davis Beach along the Courtney Campbell Causeway. They have several event distances including a 5k, 10k, half marathon and 16-miler. There's also a 2-day challenge this year. Click here to find out how you can participate or even volunteer to help.