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Greensboro Veteran Running 110 Miles To Raise Awareness Of Veteran Suicide

"I just hope it brings awareness that there is hope outside of the military when you get out," he said. "And there are programs to help you get through it."

GREENSBORO, N.C. -- Collin Yarborough doesn't run away from his problems - he runs to solve them.

"Running, it's almost like my coping mechanism," the 25-year-old Marine Corps Veteran explained.

Yarborough says he relied on running when he returned home from Afghanistan.

"Getting out (of the Marine Corps), I was looking for that safe haven and looking for something to do and keep my mind occupied," he said.

He's also turned to running each time he has had to deal with yet another man in his unit committing suicide. Four men he served with have taken their own lives so far.

"Why does this keep happening? What can we do differently? How can I bring awareness to this?" Yarborough asked himself one day while out for a run.

He realized the answer was running.

"So I decided I will run to raise awareness and money to prevent Veteran suicide," Yarborough said.

Yarborough plans to run from Greensboro to Pilot Mountain starting on June 1. He will run a total of 110 miles over 5 days.

"I just hope it brings awareness that there is hope outside of the military when you get out," he said. "And there are programs to help you get through it."

Each and every mile will be dedicated to his friends, whose time ran out too soon.

"It's hard for people to talk about and the biggest thing is just remembering those people that we lost," Yarborough explained. "And it's about the other Veterans out there that might be struggling. And to just show them that there is hope."

Yarborough will be running June 1st through the 5th. All the money he raises will benefit Hope For The Warriors, a nonprofit that provides support programs for veterans and their families.

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