1k+ Followers Join EveryStep's Mike Breese on Walk Across Iowa
EveryStep nurse Mike Breese has been planning something special for more than a year now. This week he set that plan into motion, taking the first steps on a walk across the state to raise money for the EveryStep foundation and awareness about the importance of hospice care.
He had planned to make the 255-mile trip alone, but now hundreds have joined him for the ten-day journey. Breese, a hospice nurse with EveryStep’s office in Mount Pleasant, set out from Keokuk, Iowa early on Tuesday morning, May 6th.
Mike is chronicling his journey on his Walk Across Iowa Facebook page created just for the event. He’s turned the page into a live podcast of sorts, posting videos filled with inspirational messages, interviews with those he’s meeting along the way, and a quick selfie in front of every church he passes.
When Mike took his first steps on Tuesday, his page had around 75 followers. His following has now grown to more than 1,000 people in just a few days. Those followers aren’t just watching his progress – they’re coming out to intercept him to say thanks, offer him a snack and some water, and leave a donation for his cause.
Mike has set a fundraising goal of $10,000 by completing the walk to benefit the EveryStep Foundation – the charitable arm of his Des Moines-based employer, EveryStep. He’s already more than half-way to his goal. The money raised by Mike will be used to cover costs for hospice patients that are not typically covered by insurance.
In the past year, the EveryStep Foundation stepped up to pay for an Iowa soldier to fly home from duty in Germany to see his dying father after a government shutdown made military travel impossible for him. The son was able to arrive home for a full 24 hours before his father passed. In July, the EveryStep Foundation helped the Mount Pleasant team hire an Elvis impersonator to perform a special concert for a dementia patient at her care center.
The Foundation has also assisted Mike in providing hospice care at Iowa correctional facilities. Mike, a man of deep faith, says he was called to provide care for all those who need it – no matter their past.
Mike is being assisted on his walk by his wife and brother-in-law. They drive ahead and setup a rest stop for Mike every 5-10 miles along the route. Mike plans to arrive at his finish line in Eitzen, Minnesota in the evening on Friday, May 15th.
Mike’s full route of overnight stops includes:
- Wednesday, May 6th – West Point, IA
- Thursday, May 7th – Mount Union, Iowa
- Friday, May 8th – Conesville, Iowa
- Saturday, May 9th – Cedar Valley Campground
- Sunday, May 10th – Morley, Iowa
- Monday, May 11th – Prairieburg, Iowa
- Tuesday, May 12th – Thorpe, Iowa
- Wednesday, May 13th – Elkader, Iowa
- Thursday, May 14th – Rossville, Iowa
- Friday, May 15th – Eitzen, Minnesota (Finish Line)
