Posted on April 19, 2007
On Jan. 1, 2008, Cody and Heather Lunsford and a trail of 10,000 volunteers will begin a six-month journey beginning and ending in Austin, Texas with the intent to create the greatest voter registration in U.S. history. Their walk, spanning the country in the shape of a star, will come to an end on July 4, 2008.
“We feel as if our rights and liberties are slowly being taken away,” Lunsford said. “One by one, more laws are being forced upon us and against our constitutional rights. Originally, my wife and I planned on walking across the country, by ourselves and talking to people along the way. But many wanted to get involved with us.”
Everyday they will travel the length of a marathon, 26.3 miles, which sums up to a total of 4,913 miles, symbolizing every word in the U.S. Constitution.
“I think people fail to realize that the Constitution was made to give the power to the people, not to the government,” Lunsford said. “We have the power to make change. Let us get out and do something about it! ”
According to Lunsford, each “leg” of the star will represent a certain cause, including civil rights, poverty, equality, peace, education, veteran‘s rights, constitutional rights, awareness and immigration. An awareness project related to each issue will be completed and presented.
When walkers reach a point in the star they will hold a rally in honor of the cause they just walked for and are about to walk for. Rallies will be held in Austin, Texas, Tallahassee, Florida, Washington, D.C., Green Bay, Wisconsin, and Lincoln, Nebraska.
The LibertyWalk is a non-profit, non-partisan, charitable organization with all proceeds going towards organizations relating to the projects.
“The mission of the LibertyWalk 2008 is to educate America’s citizens about the importance of civic participation in a democratic society and to instill, in our nation’s people, a deeper understanding of the need for social and environmental changes,” Lunsford said.
According to Lunsford, the founders have been contacted by many media sources, including radio stations, newspapers and major producers, bringing national attention to the couple’s efforts.
“You don’t have to sign up at all,” Lunsford said. “[There are] no politics involved. If you would like to walk, simply show up with some shoes and join us.”
