COLLEGE STATION, Texas (KBTX) – Texas A&M football safety Marcus Ratcliffe held his second annual Mission 3:12 initiative, raising $27,563 for 98-year-old World War II veteran Jack Hugman.
The initiative, partnered with Walk Among Heroes, uses Aggie football as a fundraising vehicle. For every turnover Texas A&M recovers during the football season, $312 is donated toward travel funds for a World War II veteran to visit Normandy.
Ratcliffe, a senior, said his father and grandfather both served in the military, which inspired him to give back to veterans through Mission 3:12.
“To see that the things that these veterans would go through to protect our people that they would do for us,” Ratcliffe said. “I think it just shows me like, wow, the courage that some people have to face things like that I in my life I’ve never had to face, so I think it definitely keeps me grounded and humble.”
This year’s total surpassed last year’s fundraising amount by nearly five times. Ratcliffe said he hopes to raise ten times this year’s total next year.
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