WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — A U.S. veteran is walking 98 miles from West Palm Beach to Miami over nine days to remember the 98 victims of the Champlain Towers South collapse that occurred four years ago.
WATCH BELOW: 'It's kind of hot but it feels really good because of the cause,' Tim Roberto tells WPTV's Ange Toussaint
Tim Roberto, who works at Beachway Therapy Center and founded the Stomping Out the Stigma Foundation, began his journey on Thursday with friends joining him along the way. The walk serves as both a memorial to those who died and a tribute to the first responders who worked at the collapse site.
"It's kind of hot but it feels really good because of the cause," Roberto said during a stop at a West Palm Beach fire station. "Every minute counts when you're going down to Surfside Miami."
Roberto said he has spoken with many first responders through his foundation's therapeutic work and understands the mental trauma they experienced during the Surfside response.
"A lot of the first responders that I talked to in Stomping Out the Stigma help therapeutically. I was very aware of what they all went through," Roberto said.
The Champlain Towers South condominium building in Surfside collapsed in June 2021, killing 98 people. The tragedy highlighted ongoing concerns about building safety and the mental health impact on emergency personnel who responded to the scene.
Retired Battalion Chief for Palm Beach Fire Rescue Sam Eaton said mental health support for first responders is often overlooked.
"When it comes to first responders, firefighters, law enforcement, military, it's to bring awareness of the impact of the mental trauma that those organizations and those populations are affected by," Eaton said.
Roberto plans to continue his walk over the next few days as he completes his nine-day journey to raise awareness about first responder mental health, while honoring the victims of the Surfside collapse.
