A patriotic New Jersey man recently completed a journey he’s calling the experience of a lifetime. Tommy Pasquale, 25 years old, from Randolph, New Jersey, walked from Manasquan, New Jersey, to Venice Beach, California, a distance of nearly 3,000 miles, in 143 days.
Pasquale set this goal to raise money and awareness for America’s homeless veterans, many of whom are known to him. In an interview with Fox News Digital, Pasquale said he has “nothing but respect and reverence” for veterans and was motivated by the idea of them coming home and becoming homeless.
Pasquale raised nearly $97,935 for the National Coalition for Homeless Veterans in Washington, D.C. since finishing his trip. He was welcomed by his friends and family at the finish line in Venice Beach, California, where he confessed to getting a little emotional.
He felt very accomplished and relieved that the journey was finally over. Despite burning through ten pairs of shoes, he didn’t experience any significant foot problems or ankle and knee problems.
The journey was a rollercoaster of emotions, with Pasquale citing being away from his family during the holidays as one of the most challenging obstacles.
Listening to country music, Bruce Springsteen classics, and “The Will Cain Podcast,” and having a copy of Teddy Roosevelt’s “The Man in the Arena” helped to keep his mind active and pick himself back up. Pasquale kept a journal during his walk along the open road, which he plans to use to write a book.
Pasquale said he was delighted to see how generous Americans were across the country, highlighting the helpfulness of people he met along the way, such as Jack and Luke, who offered him a place to stay in Nashville.
He saw the homeless problem in each major city he passed through, which reinforced his mission to raise awareness and money for homeless veterans. Pasquale’s experience taught him that, regardless of political affiliation or the state of the country, Americans have it good in the United States, and the more people get along and help each other out, the better off everyone will be.
Donations for veterans can still be made at GoFundMe and the Tommy Walks America info page at linktr.ee/tommy_pasquale.
»Tommy Pasquale successfully walked from the Atlantic to the Pacific«
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