Marine on humanitarian mission

Sgt. Winston Fiore, who recently returned from his deployment at Camp Leatherneck, Afghanistan, has embarked on a new mission: helping children born with cleft lips and palates.

The first phase: riding his Honda motorcycle through 25 U.S. cities to raise awareness and money for a charity that funds corrective surgery for the birth defects, which are common in developing countries.

Phase two is where Fiore’s real work will begin. “On Sept. 6, I will set out on a 5,000-mile walk through Southeast Asia. My route will take me through eight different countries, beginning and ending in Hanoi, Vietnam” Fiore says.

He’ll join a yearlong trek to raise money for the International Children’s Surgical Foundation, a charity that helps children living with clefts.

Fiore’s motorbike schedule put him in Baton Rouge in late July for a Louisiana homecoming of sorts. “I worked on a state park in Ville Platte for two months with my AmeriCorps team back in the day,” he says, “and I love Louisiana.”

Fiore’s biking companion is his friend Laurent Saidah. But, when it comes time to hike Asia, Fiore will be alone.

Learn more about the charity at smiletrek.org.