Martin goes extra mile to help 9-11 first responders

A commercial of a starving child flashes on your television screen, the plight of a homeless family leads your morning news.

Sometimes in life, people see things that inspire them to perform selfless acts for humanity; moved to action based on a perceived injustice or wrong doing.

Jay Winuk

George Martin

a Journey for 9-11

Our mission is to help provide health care for the surviving rescue and recovery workers who rushed to Ground Zero after the 9-11 attacks, by raising a minimum of $10 Million.

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George Martin is one of those persons. In fact, he has taken it a step farther.

The Greenville, S.C. native, known for a long career with the NFL's New York Giants as a defensive end and team captain, is walking thousands of miles from New York to San Francisco to raise money for the 9-11 first responders who now are now and in need of medical attention.

A handful of friends close to Martin were killed in the attack, and nearly six years later, he is appalled by the thousands of rescue and recovery workers who spent hours inside the toxic rubble and now are battling respiratory illnesses without adequate financial support.

Martin, 54, feels the federal government should help pay the cost of treating illnesses associated with the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center, which is said to have exposed at least 400,000 area residents, Manhattan visitors and disaster first responders to environmental hazards and emotional trauma.

A 9-11 heath bill is before Congress to aid the first responders, but Martin hopes to raise millions of dollars needed now.

"Some people are being forced to either pay for the medical attention they need or put food on the table," Martin said. "That's a terrible position to be put in."

In hopes of connecting with NASCAR's die-hard and compassionate fan base, Martin is stopping Saturday morning at Lowe's Motor Speedway in Concord, N.C., to participate in The NASCAR Foundation's charity walk around the track.

With the help of his security and support team, Martin will make his way south from Charlottesville, Va., on Friday.

Martin's wife, Diane, helps to facilitate a four-person team comprising of one medical assistant, a security officer, event route planner and an IT specialist that documents the fund-raising and tracks.

Beginning at 7 a.m., the 6-foot-4, 265-pound former NFL player maintains a brisk walk until about 4 p.m.

His journey began Sept. 16 on the George Washington Bridge that connects New York and New Jersey. And in cities and towns along the way, he stops at police departments and fire houses increasing awareness for friends and family close to him suffering from the physical and medical fallout from 9-11.

"And what impresses me the most is how people literally pull off to the side of the road to stop us," Martin said. "They have embraced us and contributed so much."

To date, Martin's "a Journey for 9-11" has raised an estimated $1.2 million to donate to medical funds for those in need.

"Ultimately I would like to be able to provide multi-millions of dollars for medical service for first responders and money needed to help find solutions for the medical conditions."

Before "a Journey for 9-11," Martin was most famous for a 78-yard touchdown run after a one-handed interception of a John Elway pass that then-Giants head coach Bill Parcells called "the greatest football play I've ever seen."

After this weekend, his walk, not his run, is what people should remember.