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University of North Georgia (Å·±¦ÓÎϷƽ̨) alumnus Earl "Chico" Porter III, '09, is on a winter through-hike of the Appalachian Trail to raise awareness of veteran suicide. He began the effort Sept. 11 in Maine and plans to finish by Feb. 22.

Porter was a Distinguished Military Graduate and the No. 1 cadet in the nation as a senior at Å·±¦ÓÎϷƽ̨. He earned a bachelor's degree in criminal justice from Å·±¦ÓÎϷƽ̨ and later earned a juris doctor degree from Emory Law.

A former Army Ranger, Porter established , a project of the nonprofit , to help raise support. Porter hopes to raise $1 million to empower a multi-disciplinary fight against veteran suicide.

"I walk to make sure veterans know it's OK to reach out for help; that's a lot of what took this project from idea to reality: asking my teammates for help," Porter said. "At a certain level, we are trying to provide our friends with some hope for the next 2,200 miles that someone out there cares."

A logistical team working from a trailer pulled by his truck — dubbed "Queen of Battle" — accompanies Porter along the walk to ensure he remains resourced, healthy and safe. Along the hike, Porter is stopping in several locations to share his perspective of the hike and reflections of his life experiences and those of soldiers who came before him.