Giving Back: 260 miles to honor those who have given most

Posted by: West Georgia Eye Care Center in Frontpage Article on May 22, 2015

Can you imagine running 260 miles across the entire state of Georgia? For some of us, running one single mile is daunting enough! Like all worthy endeavors, this 260-mile run is a cooperative effort that requires spirit, grit, and endurance.

Run for the Heroes, the dream of local businessman, John Teeples, unites distance runners for a cause. Yes, participants share the joy of running, but they sweat through those 260 miles for a reason–House of Heroes (HOH). This intensely practical nonprofit recognizes, honors and serves military and public safety veterans (and their spouses) for faithful, sacrificial service to their nation. A major motif of volunteer work for HOH involves home repair–construction, painting, planting flowers, configuring handicap accessibility, etc. House of Heroes receives 100% of all donations pledged to Run for the Heroes runners.

An effort of this magnitude takes VISION. West Georgia Eye Care Center is all about vision! Our own Dr. Jimmy Brooks is getting ready to speed off for his 6th consecutive year of participating in Run for the Heroes.

We asked Dr. Brooks what motivates him to give up his holiday weekend and embrace the challenge of this run. He responded, “I am grateful for the freedoms I enjoy and am glad to honor the men and women who paid the price for those freedoms.” He added that he believes in this as a local effort spearheaded by people he knows and trusts. He’s confident that the money goes where it is supposed to go, right here in the community.