A San Diego Cal Fire Firefighter kicked off his "Ride into the Light" on the first day of the year, to honor his fallen colleague Cory Iverson. Iverson died in December 2017 while battling the Thomas Fire in Ventura County. Firefighter Thomas Pittman took off from Imperial Beach early New Year's Day and will ride to Jacksonville Beach, Florida. The cross-country ride will last 31 days.
Pittman organized the ride to raise money for the Iverson Foundation for Active Awareness (IFAA) . The foundation was started by Cory's wife, Ashley, to provide peer support and mental health programs for emergency fiirst responders. Pittman's ride will take him through eight states for a total of $2,426. His goal is to raise one dollar for every mile for the foundation.