A Chicago man is making “7 Million Strides” across America to raise funds and awareness of the plight of inner city youth. Monday and Tuesday his 3,100-mile solo trek lead him through Sedalia.
Frank Chiarelli, 29, visited with Sedalia Mayor Stephen Galliher on Monday while Tuesday he took a break from his walk. Chiarelli said he planned to travel to Warrensburg on Wednesday and to reach Holden by Thursday. He is calling his trek “7 Million Strides a Cross County Walk for Chicago.”
Tuesday he took time to talk about his reasons for beginning the coast-to-coast trip, which started at Cape Henlopen State Park, Delaware, and will end at Point Reyes, California. He said he has a two-fold reason for walking across America.
“The reason why I started to do the walk across the country was to gain attention obviously, but to also show people a creative way to get involved in community and in fundraising,” he noted. “There’s an appeal there to young people, and that’s what I’m trying to do is get young people involved in community.”
Chiarelli’s walk is sponsored by Diane Latiker with the Chicago grassroots organization Kids Off the Block.
“The reason why I started to do this in general is because Chicago has gotten such a bad rap, over the last decade,” he added. “It just gets worse and worse … I don’t have a background in education or health care so for a long time I was contemplating ‘how can I help, what can I do?’”
Chiarelli found his niche in walking across America and decided to focus on at-risk youth. He noted that the trek itself has been an education.
“I’ve learned so much in almost three months now,” he said. “I learned a lot about the way that youth organizations and nonprofits are run and managed. I vetted out a bunch of organizations that deal with at-risk kids.”
Chiarelli also felt a personal connection to reaching at-risk children.
“That’s how I grew up,” he added. “So, I thought this is the best way I can help.”
While talking to organizations he found many place behavioral at-risk youth in categories from one to 10. Those who were on the higher end of the risk scale were often left behind because of liability issues. Chiarelli found that many organizations looked at their group as a business versus a community outreach for children.
“There was very little personal connection with the kids,” he noted. “That really made me want to help the kids I’m helping even more. Because, now I know there are institutions that won’t help them.”
Although he was disappointed in many organizations, he did find helpful advice and knowledge along the route. Chiarelli said he was pleased to talk with Galliher and was encouraged by the conversation.
“I’ve learned so much from all the mayors,” he noted. “I met with your mayor here, this man takes so much pride in this community. He just takes pride in helping people. What we talked about for awhile was just setting aside all politics and just doing what’s best for the people in the community. I wish that was possible all over the country, but it’s not.”
While on the walk Chiarelli hopes to raise funds for professional development programs for at-risk youth. Some of the funds raised will go to his sponsor, but he plans to use some to travel and speak at schools and churches about the program.
Walking across the United States is never easy, especially walking solo. As Chiarelli trekked across the country he opted to purchase a push cart to carry his personal belongings. Much like in the movie “Castaway,” he personalized it and named the push cart Allen. He has amassed a multitude of blisters along the way, but said he is still wearing the same boots he began the journey in in May.
Chiarelli has braved numerous storms along his route, and a recent 4 a.m. storm almost flooded his tent and almost blew it away.
“I hit a really bad storm, it was wild,” he said. “The worst was in Warsaw, Kentucky. That storm it was really crazy.”
While 35 mph winds buffeted the tent, he said had the back wall propped up with a shoelace.
“It blew the whole back wall down,” he said. “Everything was soaking wet.”
He’s been slowed by the recent heat, is trying to eat a diet that reduces inflammation and at one point had to seek medical attention for ringworm in Fairfield, Illinois.
“It was bad, it looked like chicken pox,” he said. “That was when I had my one thousand miles, that was my celebration. Ringworm. One thousand miles, ringworm.”
Chiarelli said he knows his journey will be slow walking through the upcoming desert areas but looks forward to jumping in the Pacific Ocean once he reaches California. He will then fly back home to Chicago.
He added that the cross-country trek is much broader than only raising funds and awareness for youth in Chicago.
“On my website I have a blurb at the top, because I want people to understand this is not just about Chicago,” he noted.
He said he wants to encourage others to begin their own movements in their own cities to help at-risk youth.
“By making a donation or by joining me on the walk, that says ‘I’m from a different community and there is a need for this all over,’” Chiarelli said. “Who knows what the next generation is going to be like. Everything in our world starts with the young people. They are the one’s who are going to be our leaders.”
Those who wish to donate or follow Frank Chiarelli’s trek across the United State may do at www.sevenmillionstrides.com or www.facebook.com/7MillionStrides.
