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The brothers from Alpha Tau Omega will once again embark on a 128-mile journey to raise money to help support Jeep Sullivan’s Wounded Warrior Outdoor Adventures.

The fraternity members will take the first steps of the 2022 Walk Hard fundraiser Friday morning around 8 a.m., leaving from Troy University’s John Robert Lewis quad. This year’s Walk Hard will be the 13th annual fundraiser in which the fraternity walks 128.3 miles from the university’s quad to Pier Park in Panama City, Fla. Since, 2015, the annual fundraiser has donated the proceeds from the walk to Jeep Sullivan’s Wounded Warriors.

“The blisters, joint pain, chafing and soreness are temporary and fleeting,” said Matthew Taylor, director of the 2022 Walk Hard campaign. “These things are minimal when compared to the physical and psychological injuries of the veterans we do it for.”

Jeep Sullivan’s Wounded Warrior Outdoor Adventures is a non-profit which assists soldiers in recovering from war, including those living with missing limbs and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The program funds outdoor activities for those who have served, helping to establish a sense of normalcy.

Last year, ATO raised a record $90,000, bringing their total contributions to Jeep Sullivan’s to almost $500,000. Taylor said ATO hopes to build on last year’s record breaking fundraiser.

ATO brothers will depart from Troy’s quad at 8 a.m. on Friday and are scheduled to arrive at Panama City’s Welcome Center on March 16 around 2 p.m. The fraternity brothers will take the last steps of the journey onto the Panama City Beach pier around 4 p.m.