A kayak challenge was held in Bridgeport Friday to raise awareness for veterans with PTSD.

It was hosted by the veteran group 22 PTSD Awareness Challenge.

The group was created after three veterans discovered a mutual friend had taken his own life.

The challenge involves 22 kayaks traveling 22 miles across Long Island Sound.

The number 22 symbolizes how many veterans die by suicide every day.

"Recognizing what these veterans have done for us and realizing that PTSD is a real issue, and 22 veterans should not be taking their life a day. And we need to do something about it," says co-founder Alex Rohman.

"People like me, I have an injury from service with my back. It's much better to use the foot pedals to get across the sound than it is to paddle. But Ashley is a strong Marine, so if we had to paddle with our arms, she would have held us the whole time," says Dani Koulermos, of Northport, New York.

The challenge takes about seven hours and finishes in Port Jefferson, New York.