JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Retired Army veteran Dave Parramore left St. Augustine Beach early Friday morning on an 11-day journey to Key West.
Parramore is biking nearly 500 miles to raise money for the Wounded Warrior Project.
“I’m nervous and I’m excited,” said Parramore. “But again, military folks are resilient. We used to say, ‘If it ain’t rainin’, it ain’t trainin.'”
Parramore served 26 years in the U.S. Army and retired six years ago. He owns DUSTOFF Technologies, LLC in St. Augustine.
“My last assignment I was a chief technology officer through the Army Surgeon General and decided I was going to transition and went to serve a large company. It was a fantastic opportunity, but I realized that the transition was a bit sticky just trying to find a place that would be a good fit,” said Parramore.
To help other veterans with the transition into the civilian workforce, Parramore is biking from St. Augustine Beach to Key West to raise awareness and money for the Wounded Warrior Project.
He will travel roughly 50 miles a day and connect with people along the way to spread his message.
“One great thing about veterans and military active duty and that transition is that that population is very, very resilient,” Parramore said. “They have all the raw materials to be successful in the civilian market, it just takes a little bit of coaching.”
To donate and learn more about his ride, visit Parramore’s fundraising page.