CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) - Two Chicago men in their early twenties are nearing completion of a very long walk across the country. 2,800 miles. What started as a personal challenge became a fundraiser for the Night Ministry, the social service agency that helps the homeless in Chicago.
Sam Rezaei said the idea came to him late one night. He texted longtime friend James Dill.
“I texted James, ‘would you ever be down to walk across the United States.’ That was the literal text message. I had a little bit of a background in cycling. It was just a really cool way to see the country.” Rezaei said.
Dill thought, why not.
“Once we started talking about it we couldn’t get the idea out of our heads, it just sounded like a really cool thing to do,” Dill said.
This was initially a personal thing. Still is. But, it’s evolved along the way.
“We saw that there had been people who did this sort of walk, except they had some kind of charitable cause attached to it, and we thought that was cool, but didn’t want it to be forced,” Rezaei said.
They set off from the boardwalk at Coney Island in New York on June 17. After walking for five months they’re in Arizona now. The finish line is in Los Angeles.
They’d walked about 1,000 miles before the walk became a fundraiser.
They met someone who was previously homeless.
“(He) told us about his struggles and that was probably one of the main inspirations for us,” Rezaei said.
They have had struggles, both mental and physical.
There are times where the walking is tough and you don’t want to do it but you just kind of have to keep going,” Dill added.
They have their gear in jogging strollers. They started with backpacks and for a few days they were using shopping carts. And, they’ve met a lot of people along the way.
“It's really when we’re meeting people that we have the most interesting experiences,” Rezaei said.
They’ve raised about $13,00, so far, for the Night Ministry. You can click here to donate.
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