A man from Michigan spent 76 days walking over 3,000 miles to raise money for the Fallen and Wounded Soldiers Fund.
He called the walk the “Sundog Run.”
Jack “Jax” Huffman began the walk on March 14 in Dana Strands Beach, California, and finished 76 days later on May 28 in Washington D.C.
The Royal Oak native received over $265,000 in donations from people across the country. Donors could sponsor a mile of his walk for $10.
He pushed a 150-pound cart throughout the trek that contained everything he needed, including a generator, a tent, a sleeping bag, food, and water.
Over the course of the walk, Huffman went through seven pairs of shoes, about one pair every 10 days. Huffman walked between 30 and 60 miles each day and passed through 13 states. He walked through a blizzard, climbed the Rocky Mountains, and endured torrential rain and wild animals.
Huffman said he started walking because he wanted to make a change in his lifestyle.
“Drinking, smoking, and unhealthy eating -- it was a part of my life for a long time,” Huffman wrote on his website. “That lifestyle had me overweight, feeling unhappy, depressed and wanting something better. I remember looking over at my young son, and I knew I had to make a change. I was going to be the best possible example for my son I could be. So, change I did.”
Huffman said he walked 20 miles a day and lost 50 pounds.
“I was seeing an amazing transformation in myself, and now I was ready to chase a lifelong dream,” he said. “A walk across America -- and not just some leisurely stroll, but a quest to walk from the Pacific Ocean to the Atlantic Ocean in 100 days or less.”
Huffman formed Jaxwalk to give back to people in the community. The motto of Jaxwalk is, “One day at a time, one step at a time, we can change the world!”
“His goal was to make a difference while walking,” Huffman’s significant other, Tamara Ragon, said. “He wanted to show his son that dreams are possible. The idea was to show people that anything is possible.”
Huffman completed his first cross-country walk in 2019. The walk was more than 2,800 miles from Newport Beach, California, to Tybee Island, Georgia. He finished in 79 days and raised money for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
Last year, he walked from Sarasota, Florida, to Rochester Hills, Michigan -- 1,500 miles in 60 days. He raised money for the Fallen and Wounded Soldiers Fund.
Huffman wanted to walk across America again because he wanted to break the world record run attempt. Although he fell short of the record, he took over five million steps during his journey and raised $265,000 for veterans.
The Fallen and Wounded Soldiers Fund helps Michigan-based soldiers pay their living expenses and provide assistance to families of fallen soldiers.
