GREEN BAY, Wis. — A Green Bay military veteran is about to put his mental and physical strength to the ultimate test. Bobby Klatt is preparing to compete in the Race Across the West. He'll ride his bike 930 miles from the California desert to the mountains of Colorado in 92 hours or less.
The money Klatt raises through the race will be donated to 4th H.O.O.A.H Wisconsin, which stands for Helping Out Our American Heroes. The nonprofit organization brings awareness to veteran suicide and offers different activities and assistance programs to help local vets who are struggling. So far, Klatt has raised $16,000 of his $20,000 goal through online donations and special fundraising events.
"I get a little emotional thinking about it because people are putting their hard earned money towards something that means something to me, but it shows how impactful not only this organization is in our community but it speaks to the people in our community and the support that's given to our veterans," he said. "I can't thank everybody enough. It means the absolute world to me. As each donation comes through, I can tell everybody out there that those donations will make a difference when I'm 400-500 miles into this bike ride and struggling."
Klatt has been training for 10 months for the Race Across the West. He plans to bike about 22 hours a day during the race and has five friends from Wisconsin who will be supporting him along the route. Klatt said his biggest concern is the heat he'll face during the ride, but overall he feels good physically and is up for the challenge.
The Race Across the West runs June 11th-June 16th. You can support Klatt's journey by making a donation or following his progress during the race on both the 4th H.O.O.A.H Facebook page and his personal ultracycling Facebook page.
Klatt served in the Army National Guard and Army Reserves. He did a tour of duty in Iraq in 2009-2010. Today, he remains a big supporter of 4th H.O.O.A.H and their efforts to combat veteran suicide through activities aimed to help veterans' overall mental health.
