A Michigan resident stopped at Indiana's American Legion Post 141 Tuesday afternoon as part of a yearlong challenge to walk across America.
Willie A. Taylor, 49, started from Maple Rapids, Mich., on April 3 to raise money for the USO and American Legion as part of the I Carried the Cross Foundation support and fundraising event. His goal is to raise $100,000 for each organization.
I Carried the Cross, based in Maple Rapids, was founded in 2006 by Taylor for the purpose of seeking creative ways to raise money for non-profit organizations, according to its website, www.ictcf.org. Taylor said 100 percent of the funds go directly to the organization.
Taylor is making stops at American Legions and USOs across the country to collect and share stories with veterans and soldiers.
He walks Monday through Friday, traveling 30 to 32 miles per day. At night, he rests in a recreational vehicle that meets him at stops. Taylor starts walking around 7:30 a.m. and said he will not stop if it rains.
“I have a poncho and a rain coat,” Taylor said during a Tuesday morning phone interview. “I walk no matter what the weather is.”
The temperature was 80 degrees with clear skies Tuesday when Taylor arrived. Wearing black pants and a black T-shirt with an American flag on the front, he said the heat made it rough to walk up and down the hills coming into town. Taylor talked first with Clyde Graffius, American Legion Post 141 social service officer. Graffius said the walk is a great idea to help raise money.
“If I had strong enough legs, I'd (walk) myself,” Graffius said. “I wish him luck, and we hope it's an excellent walk.”
Taylor was in Slickville on Monday, where he started the 26-mile walk to Indiana. He plans to continue making stops on his way to New York, said Nicole Armbrustmacher, the foundation's executive corporate sponsorship coordinator, then he will walk south toward Florida. The walk is not about him, Taylor said. It's about recognizing and helping the American Legion and USO.
People are invited to walk with Taylor as he travels through their communities. Walkers must pay a $10 per person registration fee and are asked to get sponsors to support them in their walk. Registration packets are available at American Legion Posts and on the foundation's website.
Taylor is also encouraging people to donate to their local American Legion or USO. Donations can also be made through links on the foundation's website; for more information, call (517) 719-1313.
Taylor spent the night in Indiana, and he was scheduled to take off this morning for American Legion Post 569 in Northern Cambria, 30 miles away. This isn't the first time Taylor has ventured across the United States. He traveled 2,024 miles by mountain bike in 2003 for “love” and 1,700 miles on the same bike in 2005 to support the cure for diabetes research.
His plans to conclude his walk at the end of April 2011 at Maple Rapids Community Center, where he started.
