AUSTIN (KXAN) — Austin Police Department Corporal Ben Mewis ran from the San Jacinto monument in Harris County to the Texas State Capitol to raise money and awareness for a cause close to his heart: CASA of Travis County.

The run was just under 200 miles.

CASA of Travis County helps children who have experienced abuse or neglect.

“For me, specifically, the hardest calls that I take have to do with children involved as victims,” Mewis said. “So this means a lot to me for Austin and for Travis County to be able to run for this group.” 

While this is the first time he’s running for a charity – this isn’t his first time taking on a large-scale running endeavor to connect with the community.

In 2021, he ran every street of his patrol sector – the Baker Sector.

Around Thanksgiving, he ran from the Alamo in San Antonio to the Capitol. During that run, he said people asked him if he was running for a charity – which inspired him to run for CASA of Travis County this time.

He started the run Sunday and finished around 3:30 a.m., with fellow officer Scott Baldridge helping out along the way.