KEY WEST, Fla., Nov. 8 /PRNewswire/ -- Matthew Gregory, the Washington
state man who's spent more than a year walking across the nation to benefit
Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, expects to conclude his odyssey
today at the southernmost city in the United States -- Key West.
On Sept. 1, 2006, Gregory set out from his home near the Canadian
border in Bellingham, Wash., having just sold his truck and quit his job
with a beverage distributor to accommodate his plans. His trek took him
down the West Coast, then from Southern California east toward Florida.
Along the 5,000 mile walk Gregory has been camping and accepting offers
of room and board, along with donations for the Hutchinson Center. He's
stayed in 109 private residences offered mostly by people he'd just met. "I
didn't realize just how generous they would be," Gregory said. "But cancer
leads to so much loss in people's lives, and I really believe the average
American is good and wants to help," he said, pointing out that in nearly
5,000 miles of walking he's never been mugged and rarely been bothered by
anyone.
Whenever possible Gregory has added to his blog diary at
http://www.mywalkingadventure.com and has collected video for a documentary
he intends to produce when he returns to the Northwest.
Gregory has been walking in honor of his mother, Carolyn Gregory, who
died from cancer in 1999. She had given birth to Gregory prematurely while
suffering from leukemia; he credits a bone-marrow transplant at the
Hutchinson Center for extending her life 20 years.
"My mother's life is the main motivator for me making the walk for
cancer research," Gregory said. "We were both lucky to live. Then the
Hutchinson Center helped save her life. That's why I chose to raise funds
for them."
To date Gregory has raised more than $10,000 for cancer research at the
Hutchinson Center. Persons wishing to donate may do so in memory of Carolyn
Gregory through http://www.mywalkingadventure.com.
Gregory got the idea of a cross-country walk from a friend who
suggested they make the trek together. The friend backed out, but Gregory
decided to proceed. "This journey has allowed me to get to know the
country," he said.
Gregory says he'll take a train -- not a plane -- to return to the
Northwest. "It just didn't seem right to fly back so quickly when it took
me months in the other direction," he said. "When I get back, what I want
to do is catch up with friends and family I've missed. Just sitting down
and having coffee with them sounds so good right now."
At Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, our interdisciplinary teams
of world-renowned scientists and humanitarians work together to prevent,
diagnose and treat cancer, HIV/AIDS and other diseases. Our researchers,
including three Nobel laureates, bring a relentless pursuit and passion for
health, knowledge and hope to their work and to the world. For more
information, please visit http://www.fhcrc.org.
CONTACT
Christi Ball Loso
(206) 667-5215
closo@fhcrc.org
SOURCE Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center
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Related links:
http://www.fhcrc.org
http://www.mywalkingadventure.com
CONTACT:
Christi Ball Loso of Fred Hutchinson Cancer
Research Center, +1-206-667-5215, closo@fhcrc.org
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