Students plan to walk from Mount Pleasant to Flint to raise awareness
Program Board President Galen Miller is planning and raising money for a walk from Mount Pleasant to Flint to deliver water to the community during the ongoing water crisis.
Miller, who is a senior from Bad Axe, said it is currently being planned to take place across two days — April 19-20. One can donate to Walk for Water through a GoFundMe page that will go to his nonprofit, Pack Your Back. The money raised will be used to buy the water for Flint, Miller said. The monetary goal is $5,000.
The group will be walking to Flint, instead of driving, because media coverage has drifted away from the Flint water crisis, Miller said. The 82-mile walk will create a bigger impact.
“It’s one thing for us to pack up a U-Haul full of water and drive down to Flint,” Miller said. “But having 50 people walk 82 miles down to Flint will make a bigger impact in the news.”
While the logistics are still being worked out, Miller has some of the details planned. He said the planned route will take them from Mount Pleasant to Bay City then to Flint. This route avoids major highways.
Miller is planning a relay system. Instead of having the entire group walk at once, participants will be put into pairs and one person from each pair will walk 20 miles. He is planning to have a car following behind the walkers for safety. Each walker will stay on the back roads and wear safety vests.
The group will stay in a hotel in Bay City overnight.
Miller said Walk for Water is open for anyone to participate in. There are around 80 people interested in participating, but he anticipates that only 30-50 people will participate.
