About
Walk About America was officially organized on November 10, 2004, but the idea for it came about even earlier than that.
After driving across America from Las Vegas, Nevada to Gray, Tennessee, founder Eric Latham decided he wanted to walk across America for a good cause. He chose cancer research and awareness because his mother had survived cancer (fortunately it wasn’t too serious) and his father, Dr. Keith R. Latham, does research on the disease. Leading up to the first walk, Latham also volunteered at Massey Cancer Center in Richmond, Virginia.
Despite what people might think, the first walk wasn’t like Forrest Gump. Latham didn’t just start walking. He spent six months planning for it while living in Richmond. His plan was to walk 17-25 miles a day and even further as he moved further west. Three months before the start of the walk, Latham had knee surgery to remove a chunk of bone about the size of a quarter. His Doctor said not to do the walk, it would do permanent damage, but Latham requested the bone chunk and would carry it with him across America.
Before departing for his starting point in the Outer Banks, a dietician told Latham he’d have to consume 6,000 calories a day just to try and keep his body weight. For a number of reasons, he wasn’t be able to keep up and would lose 42 pounds during the walk.
April 14, 2005: Eric Latham beginning his cross-country walk for cancer research and awareness. His hike from Nags Head, North Carolina to San Francisco would take him 206 days and only two pairs of boots (The first pair lasted 1,962 miles into North Platte, Nebraska)!
On April 14, 2005, with the waves crashing at his back, Latham began the journey of his life, literally walking from Nags Head, North Carolina to San Francisco to raise money for cancer research and awareness programs. By the time he reached San Francisco, he had walked 3,591 miles over 206 days and raised more than $21,000 for the American Cancer Society (click here to view his daily journal entries).
November 5, 2005: On the final day of Walk About America 2005, Latham organized a sub-campaign called Bridge for a Cure in which he invited everyone he met during his walk across America to join him for a walk across the Golden Gate Bridge in a united effort in the fight against cancer.
Take Steps with a Purpose: A Walk About America for Cancer Research
But more importantly, Latham met thousands of people along the way who shared their cancer stories. That inspired him to write Take Steps with a Purpose: A Walk About America for Cancer Research, a book about those people, their stories, and the adventures they shared along the way.
Just after the book’s publishing in August of 2006, Latham organized a group of friends and supporters to walk a part of the Appalachian Trail to raise money for cancer research. The hike was called Walk About America 2006. It raised over $1,600 for cancer research and awareness programs.
Walk About America 2006: A 13-mile hike on the Appalachian Trail to raise money for cancer research. From left to right: Eileen Owen, Juan Espinoza, Curt Cataldo, Mike Sharkey, Joe Street, Page Martin, Brynn Hartless, Mike Banks, Stephanie Woolwine, Jamie Stevens, Pat Guzik, and Matt Hammond.
After WAA 2006, Latham hit the road again (in a vehicle this time). He spent two years travelling back and forth across America giving speeches and donating the proceeds from his book sales to dozens of local cancer centers and foundations, including:
Johnston Memorial Hosptial Foundation (Abingdon, Virginia)
CAMC Foundation (Charleston, West Virginia)
St. Mary’s Medical Center Foundation (Huntington, West Virginia)
Montgomery Cancer Coalition (Mount Sterling, Kentucky)
Kosair Children’s Hospital Foundation (Louisville, Kentucky)
Massey Cancer Center (Richmond, Virginia)
Riley Children’s Hospital Foundation (Indianapolis, Indiana)
Cancer Action (Kentucky)
Carilion Foundation (Roanoke, Virginia)
Pitt Memorial Hosptial Foundation (Greenville, North Carolina)
Craven Medical Center Foundation (New Bern, North Carolina)
ACS Relay for Life (New Bern, North Carolina)
ACS Relay for Life (Pamlico County, North Carolina)
ACS Relay for Life (Carteret County, North Carolina)
ACS Relay for Life (Pender County, North Carolina)
ACS Relay for Life (New Hanover County, North Carolina)
ACS Relay for Life (Scott County, Virginia)
ACS Relay for Life (Roanoke, Virginia)
ACS Relay for Life (Wise, Virginia)
ACS Relay for Life (Washington County, Virginia)
ACS Relay for Life (Chowan County, North Carolina)
ACS Relay for Life (Washington County, North Carolina)
ACS Relay for Life (Pasquotank County, North Carolina)
ACS Relay for Life (Carter County, Tennessee)
Washington Hospital Healthcare Foundation (Fremont, California)
Queen of the Valley Hospital Foundation (Napa, California)
Children’s Hospital & Research Center Foundation (Oakland, California)
Lucile Packard Foundation for Children’s Health (Palo Alto, California)
Good Samaritan Hospital Foundation (Oregon)
OHSU Foundation–Cancer Institute (Oregon)
Providence Community Health Foundation (Oregon)
Children’s Cancer Research Fund (Oregon)
Albany General Hospital Foundation (Oregon)
SWMC Foundation (Washington)
Community Cancer Foundation (Oregon)
Wellmont Foundation–Nicewonder Cancer Center (Bristol, Tennessee)
Minnesota Ovarian Cancer Alliance (MOCA) (Minnesota)
ACS Relay for Life (Sanford, Florida)
Florida Hospital Foundation–Cancer Institute (Florida)
Children’s Cancer Foundation (Florida)
Susan G. Komen for the Cure (Florida)
ACS Relay for Life (Florida)
ACS McConnell-Raab Hope Lodge (Greenville, North Carolina)
ACS Relay for Life (Orlando, Florida)
Climb for Cancer Foundation (Gainesville, Florida)
Arnold Palmer Medical Foundation (Florida)
Florida Hospital–Flagler Cancer Unit (Florida)
ACS Relay for Life (Hill County, Texas)
ACS Relay for Life (Bosque County, Texas)
Ruritan National Foundation (Dublin, Virginia)
St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital (Cancer) (Memphis, Tennessee)
ACS Relay for Life (Round Rock, Texas)
Candlelighters (El Paso, Texas)
Cowboys for Cancer Research (New Mexico)
C.A.P.P.E.D. (Alamogordo, New Mexico)
ACS Relay for Life (Bellflower, California)
ACS Relay for Life (Rio Rico, Arizona)
The Wellness Community–South Bay Cities (California)
By the summer of 2008, Latham had given over 300 speeches and donated thousands of dollars from his book sales to the cancer cause.
In June 2008 Latham joined Gary Mitchell, a 13-year thyroid cancer survivor of Clarksburg, West Virginia, for his 70+ mile walk from Parkersburg, WV back to Clarksburg to increase cancer awareness and raise money for the American Cancer Society.
Walk About America 2008: Walk with Gary Mitchell through northcentral West Virginia for cancer research and awareness.