Georgia Man Jack Fussell Runs Across America to Raise Money

Jack Russell is running across America to help raise money for his cause. Starting from Skidaway Island State Park in Savannah, Georgia, he plans to reach Monterey, California, which will cover twelve states along the way.

Fussell keeps the country updated on his progress by posting on his blog through his cellphone. He started his run across the country on January 12, 2013. Each day, he covers 16 to 18 miles and he is foresees reaching his destination sometime in October. As of February 13, he has already covered more than 400 miles of the three thousand mile stretch. He calls his project “Across the Land 2013.”

Running for a cause

Fussell hopes to help for the Alzheimer’s Association by raising $250,000 to be used to find a cure for the disease.

The Alzheimer’s Association is an organization founded in 1980 to help those dealing with and suffering from Alzheimer’s and dementia and to do the research to find a cure. It is one of the largest non-profit organizations in the country and is the primary voluntary health organization dedicated to Alzheimer’s research, support and care.

This is a very personal mission for Fussell, whose own father, Leonard Fussell, suffered from the devastating disease. His father survived World War II and had a bout with prostate cancer. It took less than a year and a half for him to succumb to Alzheimer’s disease before he passed away in 2000.

To prepare for the arduous distance, Fussell trained for more than a decade. He did a combination of running and walking to prepare to cross a total of 12 states to reach his destination in Monterey, California. The George State Patrol also helped by giving him safety pointers on running.

A changed man

Looking at Fussell today, it is hard to believe that he has had two bouts near death. At three, he almost died after being run over by a car. In 2001, he was overweight at 256 pounds, suffered from a bleeding ulcer and was told he had about a year to live. Fussell lost the weight the old fashioned way: diet and exercise and he lost 102 pounds in just 11 months. He’s now a lean 154 pounds and is in the best health of his 62 years.

Support along the way

It’s quite easy to spot Jack. He wears a bright neon green-yellow shirt and pushes a 60 pound jogging stroller that contains his supplies, including his change of clothes, dehydrated food, a tent and other camping supplies. The stroller is emblazoned with a yellow and purple poster with “across the land 2013.com” written on the front, to further bring attention to his cause.

Along the way, people have stopped to talk to him about Alzheimer’s, so it’s been an effective way to raise awareness for a disease that affects 5.4 million Americans.

Surprisingly, he hasn’t used his tent much since strangers he meets along the way support his cause. They buy him lunch, pay for his stay in a motel room, invite him to spend the night in their home or even run alongside him for a few miles.