Doing their part to help

Gary Buchanan and his daughter, Sarah "Sunnie" Boggs, had been walking across America, starting at Slaughter Beach in Delaware when they arrived in California last week on their way to Point Reyes, California. They hope to reach their destination by Oct. 1 and also hope to raise at least $6,000 for St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital in Memphis and for their own hometown Humane Society of Parkersburg, West Virginia. Updates can be found at www.facebook.com/pawsandhope and donations can be made at www.gofundme.com/pawsandhope.
Gary Buchanan and his daughter, Sarah "Sunnie" Boggs, had been walking across America, starting at Slaughter Beach in Delaware when they arrived in California last week on their way to Point Reyes, California. They hope to reach their destination by Oct. 1 and also hope to raise at least $6,000 for St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital in Memphis and for their own hometown Humane Society of Parkersburg, West Virginia. Updates can be found at www.facebook.com/pawsandhope and donations can be made at www.gofundme.com/pawsandhope.

They decided to put their money where their hearts are.

Actually, where their feet are.

And not just their money, but they are hoping for others to help as well.

You see, both Sarah "Sunnie" Boggs and her dad, Gary Buchanan, are on a quest. They are walking across America, starting at Slaughter Beach in Delaware to making Point Reyes in California their goal. Each takes a turn at walking about 20-25 miles every day. When one walks, the other drives the 1984 VW Westphalia van. They stop when and where they can, sleeping mostly in the van. And, enduring some severe weather, like thunderstorms, mostly hunkered down in the van.

"If we didn't have such an important reason to walk, I might have quit already," Boggs said.

They purposely picked Business Highway 50 rather than the highway so they can meet the folks along the way, get to know them, and see America.

"It's one of the old, original American highways," Boggs said. "My favorite part is going through town communities."

That's when Dad told his daughter he forgot to bring his American flag with him. After all, Buchanan was in the Marines. And not a mile later, believe it or not, he found a perfectly sized American flag lying by the side of the road, just waiting for him to pick up and carry with him on his trip.

Amazing, he thought. How amazing.

The pair is hoping to raise as much money as possible, at least $6,000, for two charities they hold dear to their hearts. One is the national/international health organization St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital. The other is the Humane Society of Parkersburg, West Virginia, the pair's hometown. They hope to be able to donate enough money to turn their local animal shelter into a no-kill shelter.

And along they way they have picked up some donations, but only about $1,275 as well as a fuzzy yellow "hitchhiker" of sorts.

Lego the Lion is coming along for the "ride," so to speak.

Finding Lego was also another amazing event that the pair has experienced.

Lego started out with the name of a sick little boy, Max, written on his collar so that Max could make the trip, although symbolically, with Buchanan and Boggs. Then another name was added, Jack, that of another youngster. And now, the pair invites folks to let them know whose other names they would like added for Lego to "carry" on his way to California.

Updates on Buchanan and Boggs' organization Paws and Hope also can be found at facebook.com/pawsandhope, and donations can be made at gofundme.com/pawsandhope.