Veteran stops in southwest Georgia on fundraising trek to Michigan
Special Photo: Ben Baker
By Ben Baker
The Wiregrass Farmer
ASHBURN — Army Veteran Jack Huffman has walked a lot since leaving the service. He’s crossed Michigan twice. He walked from Newport Beach, Calif., to Tybee Island to raise support for St. Jude’s Hospital for Children.
Now he is walking north from Sarasota National Cemetery in Florida to Detroit to bring attention to veterans — more specifically the charity Salute Our Warriors — and veterans’ mental health needs.
His walk so far has generated immense support. In Adel and Valdosta, he was greeted with a huge show of support. He also had a pair of walking shoes donated.
“This is like the uniting of America, all walks of life. Amazing, generous people,” Huffman said.
In addition to veteran issues, he is trying to encourage people to be more active.
“(I want to) Inspire our youth to get up and be moving again,” he said. “Inspire people to chase down their dreams. Get started and keep going.”
His best day walking is 81 miles in 24 hours, without the small wagon he now pulls with a harness. The wagon slows him, as his best 24 hours with it is a good bit less than his longest trek.
He starts walking in the early morning hours, getting a few hours of sleep each night. He tries to walk to midnight every day.
“I am averaging well over 30 miles a day,” he said.
A bird cage is strapped to the side of his wagon. A dove sits in the cage. It will be released as part of a larger dove release in Detroit on July 13. The walk started with a dove release at the Sarasota cemetery. More bird releases are planned on his walk north. The next large release is in Atlanta.
When Huffman gets to Nashville, Tenn., a skydiving event is planned. At his final stop in Detroit, he will be carried around Motor City in a helicopter.
The dedicated veteran stopped in Sycamore and Ashburn last week. He estimates his walk to that point was 350 miles.
In Sycamore, Walker’s BBQ fed him supper. The Walker’s crew and the Sycamore City Council came out to have their picture taken with him and give him $180 toward his expenses or the Salute Our Warriors fund.
Huffman stopped for a while in Ashburn for a shower and pitched a tent in Wiregrass Editor Ben Baker’s yard for some sleep. Baker offered to let Huffman come inside, but he declined.
Huffman was up and walking after midnight, headed north.
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