Over 150 miles in nine days. That's the trek firefighters Doug Foote and Kyle Bode will embark on by foot, starting this Saturday.
The walk will take them from Duluth to St. Paul. They'll cover 18-20 miles per day over a five to six hour period.
It's an opportunity to raise awareness of MnFire according to Excelsior Fire District's Foote.
"They're this wonderful organization that provides a range of services for all of the firefighters in Minnesota, both career and volunteer," he says. "And those services are focused on really the top three killers and firefighters, which are cardiac events, cancer, and of course, unfortunately, suicide."
Foote says a firefighters risk of cancer is 14% higher than that of the common population and that over 100 firefighters commit suicide each year.
So in Foote's words, this walk is about hope.
"You know, as I'm thinking about this walk and there's a lot going on in this country, especially recent events," Foote explains. "And I hope that this walk can be about hope. And I hope when people hear about it, when they see it, that they're maybe, for a little moment, they're elevated and they can be hopeful. I would say if people can get that feeling of hope, make a donation."
If you'd like to support this cause click here.
The walk begins Saturday, September 13 and concludes Sunday September 21.
