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Jul 16, 2008

"If I can stop one heart from breaking,
I shall not live in vain;
If I can ease one life the aching,
Or cool one pain,
Or help one fainting robin
Up to his nest again,
I shall not live in vain." --Emily Dickinson

A Story of Five Million Steps

In 1996, Terry Hitchcock ran from Minneapolis to Atlanta in 75 consecutive days, covering the equivalent of a marathon or more each day. He ran because he wanted to bring attention to all everyday heroes, because he wanted to make towns and cities and even the whole country aware that 35 million people struggle everyday with the extraordinary challenges of being part of a single-parent family. He ran in spite of freezing rain and unbearable heat, in spite of aches and pains and cramps that wracked his 57-year-old body, in spite of uncharitable people who made fun of him and even tried to run him off the road at times. No matter. He just kept running each day, everyday until he broke the finish line tape in Atlanta.