![](https://www.beaconawardsct.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/ray-hayes-headshot-1.jpg)
Many veterans who return home suffer from PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) and don’t know how to deal with it. Raymond Hayes wanted to help, so he used his lifelong passion for sailing as a way to help local veterans suffering from the aftermath of war. He is the founder of Pay4Ward: Veterans Helping Veterans, which helps veterans manage their PTSD through sailing, or as he puts it, “they can expect a day off from their own stress.” When interviewed for Valley Courier’s Person of the Week in 2016, he also said, “As long as I can help even one person, I am going to be doing this work.”