James Brian Kerr, author of The Long Walk Home: How I Lost My Job as a Corporate Remora Fish and Rediscovered My Life’s Purpose, wrote this guest post:
I am excited to announce the first annual The Long Walk Home Fitness Challenge sponsored by my publisher, Blydyn Square Books.
In the spirit of the long walk home described in the book, this annual fundraiser will challenge participants to walk the long route that they normally commute to or from work, school, or church. All proceeds from the walk will go to a designated non-profit organization.
Here’s how it will work: On one or more days of your choosing between June 15 and Labor Day (Monday, September 2), leave your car at home and walk that long route to your workplace. If the route is too congested to walk, then walk the equivalent distance at a safe location, such as a local park, school running track, etc. (My own walk in the book was about 22 miles.) Find a sponsor for your walk, at whatever per-mile rate you choose, and whoever donates the biggest amount during the month gets a $100 Amazon gift card. Feel free to copy and use this simple spreadsheet to keep track of your sponsors.
The inaugural 2024 The Long Walk Home Fitness Challenge will support the nonprofit educational organization Lakeside Educational Network, where I am proud to serve as a member of the Board of Directors. Many of you may know Lakeside from the network of alternative schools it runs for struggling youth in the Delaware Valley. What you may not know is that Lakeside is a leader in providing brain-based, trauma-informed training for educators and professionals across the country and around the world.
To kick off the 2024 Fitness Challenge, we will be hosting an open house at the Lakeside School in North Wales on Saturday, June 15, from 9 to 11 a.m. Lakeside CEO Gerry Vassar will talk about the organization’s mission and take everyone on a tour of Lakeside’s lovely campus and greenhouse. Coffee will be served, and everyone will go home with a plant from the Lakeside’s award-winning greenhouse.
In addition, I will give a brief reading from the book, and Blydyn Square Books Publisher Tara Tomczyk will talk about the Fitness Challenge and how it will work.
Review the official rules for more details. Hope to see you soon!
