Marching on

Feet of Memory Inc. marches on toward a successful Walk from Key West to Maine. As we hold public events and fundraisers, we also get the word about about Alzheimer's disease and its effects on lives...not just the one with the disease, but the family and community. Unlike many other diseases, Alzheimer's steals away one's life....past, present and future. Memories, self-awareness, and closest relationships are wiped away as the disease progresses. It may begin at an early age....such as 50s or 60s, but aging beyond 80 is the 'norm.' Researchers continuously seek the reasons why people develop this disease, as well as means to control and even end it.

Alzheimer's stole away Geoffrey's mother Pat...for more than 24 years, she slipped deeper and deeper into the thickening clouds of memory loss. Like many patients, her physical health was pretty good. She was a strong and fit Kiwi woman and to look at her - until the later stages of Alzheimer's disease, you might not know her memory and ability to speak coherently, to tell you her name, or recognize her family....had gone.

Our goal is to walk these 2,400 miles beginning on the anniversary of Pat's birthday 17 March, 2013 and tell her story...which is the story of many... as we journey historic U.S. Rt. 1. More than 32 millions people live within a 25 mile radius of this road, and we want to share her story while raising funds so others won't ever have a similar story to tell.

Thank you for your support.

Feet of Memory Inc is located in Canton, Ohio, with an international goal to present endurances walks to help end Alzheimer's disease...whether here in the US or in other global locations. Additionally, Geoffrey offers several solo theatrical performances to groups. His performances include "Tenacity" which is about his mother's journey with Alzheimer's disease, "The Rime of the Ancient Mariner," "The Gospel of St Mark," and "Sermon on the Mount." Rose offers Lessons in a Lunchbox to retirement homes, adult day centers and other organizations with people in early to mid-stage dementias.

Contact us at 330-819-8109 (Geoffrey)

or via email: feetmemory@ yahoo.com

on our website at www.feetofmemory.com

Official launch and longest walk yet

We are preparing to officially "launch" our Feet of Memory campaign - place and time to be announced.

Do you some someone who has walked across America from shore to shore? I met a woman years ago who did this, and heard of several others. That's quite a feat - quite an endurance walk. Geoffrey had considered doing that, but one morning I woke to the idea of Key West to Maine...this is a highly populated area of the States...more than 32 million people live in the counties through which Geoffrey will walk and his support personnel will drive.  So we are working toward fulfilling a real dream!

Geoffrey wants to share this with you about his 24 mile training walk yesterday, August 21

Kia Ora - the 24-mile walk is significant as the average distance I will have to travel every day from Key West to Fort Kent  - on the Canadian border of Maine. The 2400 miles has a break every ten days or so built in so there is no point in doing the maths, especially as the actual distance is 2376 miles, according to Wikipedia - the online source that thinks on its feet. But why spoil a good round distance with the actual length; until I am so tired I'd happily wipe  that extra  24 miles. 

Yesterday I finished full of running( walking) and knocked out the last mile in 15 minutes to prove there was more in the tank. Starting slowly helped, but I can't go too slowly; my muscles would get bored. I set off south on the Ohio and Erie Canal towpath from 40 Corners, planning to go 3 miles south and return to the car and take on more drink and it was quite deserted at 7.40am - first day back at school for many. The turnaround point in Massillon was the 11.5 mile peg and I planned to walk to the Stark County boundary and half a mile past that toward Clinton to make the 24 miles. I was back at the car in 1hr 45 and drank my fill and filled my drink (bottles) for the walk to Canal Fulton. It's invariably 55 minutes to Butterbridge but the main path was closed at Crystal Springs - for maintenance. An old ( well, young fella about my age) chap on his bike shared a moan with me about that and I considered walking on anyway - rather than take the alternative route on the Muskingum Trail on the other side of the Tuscarawas River. But I figured the workers would resent an interloper and harsh words might ensue  - so I took the detour and found that added an extra 0.2 miles -and that changed the extra distance past the county boundary (the 0 mile peg). When you have an hour of fast walking you have plenty of time to calculate all this - plus practice lines, do the Rime of the Ancient Mariner. Our board member Tom asked me what I think about and my glib self replied my head was full of Sousa marches - and they do come in readily with the rythmic feet hitting crushed limestone.

The detour forced me to miss my favourite spot - where a week or so back I was stunned by the beauty of one scene, for its sheer symmetry of greeness as much as anything, and a small inner voice asked if I had ever seen anything so beautiful - and in that epiphany moment I had to grab a tree to stop from falling as I answered the most humble and awefilled "No. It had always impressed me but this was "clouds opening and showing riches ready to drop upon me" moment. 

We (who's we) reached halfway in 3 hours 40 mins - 12 miles and lunch a long way off  - at Canal Fulton and the next 3.3 miles were north.  Twice I was walkers going quickly ahead of me. I wish they wouldn't because the competitor in me has to catch them. One I didn't but the other I caught easily. The only stop on the second leg was for a drink at Canal Fulton. I had meant to buy some more Powerade but the machine was not in a $1 note accepting mood - I should carry more quarters to obviate the need for them - but I found that Coke was just as stimulating (the Coke machine was working/ swallowing $1 bills).

So the second leg took 3 hours 30 mins - pauses to buy and ice-cream included and with 3.6 miles to go in one more hour I knew I had a solid time in the bag - the last leg took 55 minutes at close to 4mph - more than usually tired but happy that this feat is achievable - 48 of the 100 days we will walk the same or shorter distances; in eight month's time.  Ka Kite

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Put One Foot in Front of the Other

Follow us on a 2,400 mile journey from Key West to Maine to raise funds and awareness for Alzheimer's research and support. 

This "feet for memory" honors Geoffrey Darling's mother and family who suffered the effects of Alzheimer's Disease for 24 years. Each 100 miles equals every year.  

The trek begins with the launching of this blog  May 1, 2012 and the walk starting in Key West on March 17, 2013. It sounds a long way off, but time does fly!

Follow along our journey ... and please, lend your support.