Man Walking Across America for Hospice Awareness Makes Stop in Eastern Idaho
by Phil Campbell, November 11, 2011
http://www.clipsyndicate.com/video/playlist/25504/3016181?wpid=8668
You can track Colin’s progress by following this link: www.nationalhospicefoundation.org/colin
In 1988, a man passed through Idaho as part of his walking journey from New York City to San Francisco. This same man attempted the same thing again in 2009 but after an encounter with wolves and having to cut his foot open to relieve pressure from blisters, he postponed the trip somewhere in North Dakota. Today, he is back in eastern Idaho. Phil Campbell caught up with the man and tells us why this journey is so important to him.
When Colin Skinner first made the trip across the North American continent in 1988, hospice was not what it is today. Knowing the importance of hospice, Colin set out to raise awareness for this critical treatment option. He wrote about the trek in his book, Beyond the Setting Sun, and the sales from this have helped raise over $10,000 for hospice care. The book can be ordered from skinnem@aol.com
Colin attempted to cross America again in 2009 but ended the journey at mile marker 283, just outside of Devil’s Lake North Dakota. He recently picked up his journey at that very spot and is now in eastern Idaho.
“Along the way I am visiting hospices. I’m now here in Pocatello visiting the Idaho Home Health and Hospice and the message I’m trying to spread is that hospices are there to help people with serious illnesses but to say that hospices need help too. They need volunteers and support from the local community to try and help as many people as possible when they have serious illnesses.”
Colin will leave Pocatello on Sunday and continue his journey towards warmer climates but before he reaches that point he must conquer one of the more challenging areas from his previous journey.
“In 1988, I was going over Malad summit in a blizzard and this police guy stopped, opened the door and was laughing his head off. There was a four-inch icicle hanging off my chin.”
Colin says there have been several occasions along the journey that have reaffirmed that he is doing the right thing.
“There are lots of instances where I felt I couldn’t carry on but something would happen, either somebody would turn up or something would appear to allow me to carry on the journey.”
You can track Colin’s progress by following this link: www.nationalhospicefoundation.org/colin
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