February 4, 2011
For Immediate Release
Contact: Jim Abbott (678) 883-6510
Sue Leventhal, WhyHunger (212) 629-3224
JIM ABBOTT WALK ACROSS AMERICA
WhyHunger and Jim Abbott are pleased to announce a grand adventure that aims to both commemorate the life and legacy of WhyHunger co-founder Harry Chapin on this, the 30th anniversary of his death, and to also raise money for the charity to further their mission of connecting people to nutritious, affordable food and supporting grassroots solutions that inspire self-reliance and community empowerment.
Toward that end, Mr. Abbott, a lifelong fan of Harry’s music who was fortunate enough to have seen Harry perform half a dozen times, (all benefits, it should be known) will set out from the east coast of the United States, on or about March 15th. He will walk approximately 3000 miles westward, ending up at the Pacific Ocean, if all goes as planned, on July 16, the exact date of Harry’s passing. His goal: to raise $30,000 dollars through donations, from everyday Americans.
In explaining his mission Jim Abbott recalled that in President Barack Obama’s State of the Union address last week, the President told the nation that America is great because we aim high and “do big things.” “Harry Chapin used to say, ‘Do something’.” Jim is pleased to announce something BIG that he is doing and issues a personal challenge to other Chapin fans. “Do something”, said Abbott. “Remember Harry Chapin and do something that helps feed those of our neighbors who are in need. Help me by donating money to WhyHunger in Harry’s name. Raise money for a local food bank. Walk with me. The boundaries of your imagination are the only limits.”
According to Abbott, “In these times of economic turmoil, too many people go to bed hungry each night, and as Harry used to say, in a world with enough food to feed every single person on the planet three times over, that is a crime. If Chapin fans each gave a nickel for every time they have sang along with Cat’s in the Cradle, or Circle, or Taxi, we could raise a lot of money for WhyHunger.
So to quote Bruce Springsteen at the tribute concert to Harry that was held at Carnegie Hall in 1987: “Do something, and may his song be sung.”
Follow Jim on his walk at his blog created especially for this occasion: http://walktofighthunger.blogspot.com/
About Jim Abbott: Jim hails from upstate New York’s beautiful Hudson Valley. He is a writer, musician, and former teacher, among other endeavors, and is currently a small business owner in Jackson, Georgia, where he also writes a weekly (more or less) column for the Jackson Progress-Argus. In the spirit of helping people, Jim notably found and rescued the late Jackson C. Frank, a folk music cult legend who was living on the streets of New York City in the 1990’s. Jim got him off the streets, into the mental health system, re-connected him with his royalties, and eventually got him back to writing and performing music again, until his death in March, 1999.
About WhyHunger: Founded in 1975 as World Hunger Year by Harry Chapin and current executive director Bill Ayres, WhyHunger is a leader in building the movement to end hunger and poverty by connecting people to nutritious, affordable food and by supporting grassroots solutions that inspire self-reliance and community empowerment.
reflections of a walking man
Showing posts with label walk. Show all posts
Showing posts with label walk. Show all posts
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
Monday, February 14, 2011
Why the heck...?
So one day I decided to walk across the entire United States. Just like that.
It wasn’t even a tough decision to make. I was working out at my local gym, Jake Hiett’s Fitness USA in Jackson, Georgia, where I am currently living, and where I am co-owner of a small business. I decided long ago that working for the Man is not for this man.
So , as I was toiling away on the elliptical machine that I allow to be my personal torture device almost daily, the thought just occurred to me that I needed to do something positive with my exercise regimen, besides the obvious health benefits…..
I joined the gym almost two years ago. I was getting really heavy, to the point that shoelaces were something to be left tied if at all possible, and when my birthday rolled around I felt that a gym membership would be a good thing to treat myself to. Then I actually went and signed up.
For several months I labored on that machine. I decided from the get-go that I would avoid the treadmill, or anything that required or resulted in much strain and pounding on the knees. I had cartilage removed from one of them several years ago and want to put off the “early arthritic change” that the surgeon told me would most certainly come about in the not too distant future. Things were going along smoothly, and for the first several months I went to the gym about five times weekly, and would do around three to three and a half miles each time.
When I first started there was an older gentleman on the machine next to mine and he told me that he was never able to get past 18 minutes on it. So, I set my sights on 20 minutes, figuring that I would use his experience as a guide. I found that 20 minutes wasn’t that difficult to do, and that first day managed to get to 40 minutes without killing myself. I was also pleased to note that I had burned off about 300 calories.
The elliptical machine is an interesting and clever piece of engineering. The motion mimics cross country skiing, long known to be the most strenuous activity in the athletic world. Because it IS like skiing, it is a very low impact activity where the feet and knees are concerned. As such, it was perfect for my purposes. What really makes it clever is the fact that no matter how you choose to do the exercising, whether just using your legs to work the “ski parts” or use your arms to move the “ski pole” parts in conjunction with the “ski parts” , you burn just as much energy, and the higher the resistance level the higher the number of calories burned. It is really a tough workout.
When I first got on the machine, I didn’t know about how to set the program. I picked a “random” button, which then asked me for my weight, and then the time I wanted for my workout, with 60 minutes the default maximum allowed, (with up to 10 minutes for cooling down) and finally the resistance level. I mistakenly hit the “1” twice, setting the machine at “11” instead of the “1” that I had intended. I began the workout, and quickly discovered that “random” meant that the resistance levels ebbed and flowed, rose and fell, such as it were, simulating hills and flats. I decided to stick with that setting, and use it to this day. Kind of like starting a class in the middle of the semester but the body is an amazing machine and I adapted quickly.
And the miles began to pile up, and the pounds began to melt away.
It wasn’t even a tough decision to make. I was working out at my local gym, Jake Hiett’s Fitness USA in Jackson, Georgia, where I am currently living, and where I am co-owner of a small business. I decided long ago that working for the Man is not for this man.
So , as I was toiling away on the elliptical machine that I allow to be my personal torture device almost daily, the thought just occurred to me that I needed to do something positive with my exercise regimen, besides the obvious health benefits…..
I joined the gym almost two years ago. I was getting really heavy, to the point that shoelaces were something to be left tied if at all possible, and when my birthday rolled around I felt that a gym membership would be a good thing to treat myself to. Then I actually went and signed up.
For several months I labored on that machine. I decided from the get-go that I would avoid the treadmill, or anything that required or resulted in much strain and pounding on the knees. I had cartilage removed from one of them several years ago and want to put off the “early arthritic change” that the surgeon told me would most certainly come about in the not too distant future. Things were going along smoothly, and for the first several months I went to the gym about five times weekly, and would do around three to three and a half miles each time.
When I first started there was an older gentleman on the machine next to mine and he told me that he was never able to get past 18 minutes on it. So, I set my sights on 20 minutes, figuring that I would use his experience as a guide. I found that 20 minutes wasn’t that difficult to do, and that first day managed to get to 40 minutes without killing myself. I was also pleased to note that I had burned off about 300 calories.
The elliptical machine is an interesting and clever piece of engineering. The motion mimics cross country skiing, long known to be the most strenuous activity in the athletic world. Because it IS like skiing, it is a very low impact activity where the feet and knees are concerned. As such, it was perfect for my purposes. What really makes it clever is the fact that no matter how you choose to do the exercising, whether just using your legs to work the “ski parts” or use your arms to move the “ski pole” parts in conjunction with the “ski parts” , you burn just as much energy, and the higher the resistance level the higher the number of calories burned. It is really a tough workout.
When I first got on the machine, I didn’t know about how to set the program. I picked a “random” button, which then asked me for my weight, and then the time I wanted for my workout, with 60 minutes the default maximum allowed, (with up to 10 minutes for cooling down) and finally the resistance level. I mistakenly hit the “1” twice, setting the machine at “11” instead of the “1” that I had intended. I began the workout, and quickly discovered that “random” meant that the resistance levels ebbed and flowed, rose and fell, such as it were, simulating hills and flats. I decided to stick with that setting, and use it to this day. Kind of like starting a class in the middle of the semester but the body is an amazing machine and I adapted quickly.
And the miles began to pile up, and the pounds began to melt away.
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