Travis Ellis has never served in the armed forces, but his connections to those who have are strong.
“My family has served in every conflict back to the French and Indian War, and it’s always been a regret of mine that I’m not a veteran,” said Ellis, a Smyrna resident and petroleum distributor. “But I have an opportunity that helps me feel I’m doing my part.”
That prospect is Shepherd’s Men, a philanthropic organization Ellis co-founded with friend Troy Campbell in 2014 to raise money and awareness of the SHARE Military Initiative at Atlanta’s Shepherd Center. SHARE focuses on the treatment of military veterans with traumatic brain injury and post-traumatic stress disorders after 9/11.
Shepherd’s Men host a variety of fundraisers to underwrite the program’s $1.2 million budget. To date, they’ve raised more than $5 million and supported more than 750 families through concerts, auctions, dinners, clay shoots and runs across multiple states that always start at a significant location.
The first run in 2014 saw Ellis and other volunteers running 684 miles from South Carolina to the Iwo Jima memorial in Washington, D.C. They outstripped their goal of $100,000 by $35,000 and met more people willing to support their efforts.
“We were taken aback by the success, so we did it again in 2015, starting at the 9/11 memorial in New York and running back to Atlanta,” said Ellis. “That year we also did it while wearing military flak jackets of about 22 pounds to represent the number of veteran suicides each day. And we raised $280,000, with 100% going to life-saving care.”
Other runs have been through Boston, Arlington, and Shanksville, Pennsylvania – the site of the Flight 93 9/11 plane crash.
“For us, 9/11 was the genesis of everything, so we always want to go to sites affected by those events,” said Ellis. “We’ve been to Manhattan and the Pentagon multiple times.”
Beginning Monday, Shepherd’s Men will launch a run from the Marine Corps War Memorial in D.C. to the Varsity in Atlanta, which they plan to reach by Memorial Day. From there, they’ll regroup and invite members of the public to join them on a jog to the Shepherd Center in Buckhead. And not just men are welcome.
“Our group is men and women,” said Ellis. “It’s not just about the people doing the physical challenges, either. Anyone who has supported us or engaged in our mission is considered a member.”
Information about Shepherd’s Men is online at shepherdsmen.com.
Who’s doing good? Each week, we write about a deserving individual, charity events such as fun-runs, volunteer projects and other community gatherings that benefit a good cause. To suggest an event or person for us to cover, contact us at ajc.doinggood@gmail.com.
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