For North Carolina resident David Jones, reaching his daughter’s wedding meant a two-hour drive to Tennessee. However, the aftermath of Hurricane Helene and the heavy torrential rain turned streams into raging rivers and made the roads impassable. Yet not even Jones refused to miss the chance to walk his daughter down the aisle, no matter what. However, little did he know that his New York Marathon jacket would play an instrumental role in the days to come.

“I just went to the back of my car and grabbed my backpack—and off I went on foot,” the father told Good Morning America in early October. Dressed in his 2016 NY Marathon jacket, a cap, and his phone’s flashlight, Jones walked 27 miles (43.45 km) to Tennessee. The two-hour drive turned into a harrowing 12-hour ordeal. Yet little did he know that his feat would catch the attention of the Red Cross and the marathon organizers.

As David Jones’ incredible journey in the aftermath of Helene became viral, Jones received a call from Alexander ‘Alex’ Egan. Egan, who is the Senior Vice President of Philanthropy for the New York Marathon, made a suggestion. “It was quite a surprise… He said, ‘We’d love for you to travel up here, partner with the Red Cross, and raise funds,” Jones told WBIR News.

Egan revealed that the funds would help those affected by Hurricane Helene. So Jones couldn’t say no. In fact, the South Carolina Native has already started reading funds. WBIR reported that David Jones has raised funds from North Carolina, Tennessee, and South Carolina. New York will be its final destination. “It was something I could pass up,” added Elizabeth Marquez’s father.

However, David Jones is now busy training for the marathon. The last time he ran the iconic World Marathon Majors course was in 2016, and he had no plans to run. “I wasn’t planning on running a marathon this fall. So, I’ve been trying to bump up my mileage here pretty quick,” Jones told WBIR. However, the deed that earned him this New York Marathon opportunity could’ve easily taken a tragic turn.

The New York Marathon invitee landed in some serious trouble

As the incident involving Florida resident Martin Thomas showed, flash floods became a serious cause of concern in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene. Thomas, a lifelong surfer, earned ‘the angel of the city’ moniker after saving a dozen lives in his neighborhood. Similarly, David Jones risked his life while trudging through miles of destruction with his phone’s flashlight as a guide.

Although the father avoided any flash floods, he had a close call with knee-deep mud. “I sunk down in the mud. It was like quicksand, right down to my knees—trapped, can’t move,” Jones told GMA earlier this month. However, instead of panicking, the New York Marathon invitee slowly maneuvered his way out of the mud, one step at a time.

David Jones also ran into a helpful trooper. He confessed to GMA that the trooper somehow knew he was “the one” trying to get to his daughter’s wedding. In fact, if it wasn’t for the trooper, reaching Johnson City, Tennessee, may have taken even longer. However, with the ordeal behind him, David Jones is ready to help those who couldn’t escape the hurricane’s wrath. Jones is looking to raise $10,000 with the Red Cross at the 2024 New York Marathon.

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