YOUNG COUNTY ( KFDX/KJTL ) — Seventy-two hours in the beating sun pulling an old semi-truck might not seem worth it to you and me, but for Kris Rotonda, it is.

Like the one in the Young County Arena parking lot, the stunt is meant to help fund animal shelters around the country, such as the one where Kris’ old friend Jordan came from.

The namesake for his nonprofit, “ Jordan’s Way .”

“Jordan came from a very underfunded shelter in Florida. So, you know, I always thought there was a problem there when I saw all these shelters that were underfunded; overpopulated,” Rotonda said. “So, I said, I want to do something about it. When she passed away is when I the fire kind of got lit and I started going across the country doing these crazy fundraisers.”

This stop in Graham is the latest in a string of fundraising efforts over the last four years that took Rotonda around the country.

Over those four years, Rotonda has had a tangible impact on each shelter he’s visited.

“We raised a little over $9 million in four years. We’ve been to over a thousand shelters, so the response has been fantastic,” Rotonda said. “I always tell people; our fundraisers are like a mix between a Jerry Lewis telethon and a Nickelodeon episode. Pie faces, tortilla slaps, ice bucket challenges, stuff given away for the dogs and cats. So, it’s a combination of just a lot of laughter and fun and mixed for the fundraiser.”

Rotonda’s work over the last few days has benefitted the Humane Society of Young County, which desperately needs a new transport vehicle. While the old one still works, Board President Heather Allen said a new vehicle is needed.

“It gets us around locally and whatnot. We have several out-of-state rescue partners. We’re about to partner with the OSU Vet school, taking our animals up there for spay, neuter, to help I guess you know the veterinarians who are in school,” Allen said. “So, we’ll need a dependable vehicle to do that.”

As Rotonda continues raising money for the Humane Society of Young County and other shelters around the U.S., Allen wants to remind everyone what Rotonda’s movement is about.

“End goal is finding these dogs homes, getting them out of the shelters,” Allen said. “And that’s what Kris does. He brings awareness, he spotlights these dogs. He is just truly amazing what he does.”

And he’ll keep pulling the truck for the sake of all the animals in shelters across the country.

To donate, visit the Jordan’s Way website.

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