ATO raises $200,000, journeys 128.3 miles for Walk Hard

Set against a chilly early morning backdrop, 44 brothers of Alpha Tau Omega (ATO) gathered on the quad to begin their 128.3-mile trek to Panama City Beach, Florida, for their annual Walk Hard tradition on the Friday before Spring Break.  

Walk Hard is the name of ATO’s philanthropy hike that sees brothers of ATO walk more than 100 miles in support of American veterans. This year marked the 18th year ATO brothers have dedicated their Spring Break to the journey, and the veterans it raises money for.  

“I’ve kind of accepted that it’s going to hurt and I’m just trying my best to work through the pain,” said Ethan McMahen, a junior accounting major from Dothan, Alabama and an ATO brother participating in Walk Hard. “After the first mile or so, your feet kind of gonumb and that’s when you start thinking about why you’re walking – who you’re walking for. 

“It’s something that’s bigger than yourself and it really is a blessing to be able to walk.” 

The charity Walk Hard supports is Jeep Sullivan’s Wounded Warrior Outdoor Adventures, which creates opportunities for wounded veterans to go on hunting and fishing trips free of charge.  

Cody Jones is a wounded veteran who has gone on a few different hunts with Jeep Sullivan. He said the charity helps veterans, who tend to self-isolate, get back out there and help increase their physical and social activity. 

He also said the charity has helped him build a brotherhood after his military service. 

“A lot of them are local and every now and again we get the chance to go out, see each other and reconnect and go have fun,” Jones said. “It means a great deal – with this, it helps us get out and [shows us] we’re still able to do things like go out and have fun doing the things we did beforehand.” 

Brayden Hubble, a second-year walker and a junior biomedical sciences major from Spanish Fort, Alabama, said there’s also a lot of brotherhood built between the brothers along the walk. 

“You talk with people who you may have not had many conversations with before, and you stick together after the walk and develop friendships and better connections – it's a bond that you make for a really long time,” Hubble said. “It’s very valuable.” 

After seven days of walking, the pack of ATO brothers rushed to the bright greeting of white sand at their destination, Panama City Beach, Florida. The journey brought in a total of $200,000 for Jeep Sullivan’s Wounded Warrior Outdoor Adventures, far surpassing both the frat’s goal of $150,000 and their previous record of $140,000 raised.