At Age 71, This Grandfather Has Logged Thousands of Miles On Walks for Peace
Most of us want to make the world a better place. Not all of have actually done something about it—but a grandfather named Al has, many times over.
Al considers it his mission to spread the message of "praying for peace." What began as an idea, of wanting people to focus on peace in their prayers, has turned into a public campaign that has reached tens of thousands of people. And it all started with a walk.
"In 2008, I walked from Yankees Stadium to Chicago. It's a little over 950 miles," Al recalls of his first Pray 4 Peace Walk. During his pilgrimage, Al handed out cards depicting a group of uniformed soldiers huddled together, with the words "They pray for peace. Will you?" printed on them. Al estimates that he has given out about 40,000 of the cards.
Following his long 2008 walk, Al saw his cause gain media attention, and he has subsequently done several more days-long Pray 4 Peace Walks. Most of the walks begin or end in New York City, and relate to Al's personal connection to the September 11 attacks on the World Trade Center towers. The mother of Al's children could have died in the attacks; she was late to work, at the WTC, on September 11, 2001. Most recently, Al walked from Ground Zero to Boston in 2014, a trip of more than 240 miles.
Watch our original video to hear Al explain his efforts in his own words. This HooplaHa Original was produced by Daniel Salazar III. To watch more, visit us on YouTube -- and don't forget to smile!
