August 26, 2018 10:10 AM EDT
WASHINGTON (Circa) – It’s a long journey for Ryan Lee Gehris, he riding his bike more than 3,000 miles across the United States to raise money for the Fallen Patriots Foundation.
He started in April 2018 in Ocean Beach, San Diego and he hopes to make it all the way to New York in his beach cruiser bicycle.
With the money he’s raised children of fallen patriots will be able to get college scholarships and educational counseling.
Gehris was inspired to take this journey by his mother, Pattie Stein. When she was 14 years-old she lost her father, Leon Charles Stein, while serving as an advisor for the Brown Water Navy Junk Force in 1965.
Since he was a young boy Gerhis has been an advocate for Gold Star Families.
Along his ride Gehris has stopped to meet with veterans of foreign war and American legion members. He's asking people to donate $22 to support his cause. The number 22 represents the number of Veterans that commit suicide every day. .
