LANSING, Mich. (WLNS) – There is a Mid-Michigan man with a long journey ahead of him as he plans to walk thousands of miles for charity.
His name is Woody Ellis and he is looking to get the word out about the importance of taking care of your mental health.
“I’m committing to 2,000 miles as my first goal,” Ellis said.
Woody told 6 News he will start his walk at the Mackinaw Bridge, then go through the Upper Peninsula, and the wind will take him from there. The purpose of it all–mental health awareness.
“There’s a stigma surrounding mental illness in general, and I think it needs to be a little more normalized,” Ellis said.
Woody said he loves to travel and wanted to put more meaning behind his trips so Woody’s walk came to be. People can follow his journey in real-time on his website, he is looking to raise money for charities and start conversations surrounding mental health.
“I chose these causes because it’s affected my life personally, and a lot of people in my circle with all types of mental health illnesses,” Ellis said.
He plans to bring others along with him during his trip as well, which will bring different perspectives on mental health experiences.
“Spread joy, spread smiles, share stories with people, share meals with people, and interact with as many people as I can along the way,” Ellis said.
The charities he supports cover a wide range of mental health resources including Alzheimer’s, schizophrenia, and suicide prevention.
“Everyone struggles with mental health. Depending on the condition obviously, I think people feel embarrassed and they don’t like to talk about it and I think that exacerbates the problem,” Ellis said.
Woody reminds people going through hard times that life gets better, so keep walking.
“Even if it’s literal walking or metaphorical walking…keep on keeping on basically,” Ellis said.
Woody leaves on September 2nd for his walk. You can follow his journey on his website ( hyperlink: https://www.woodywalks.com/ ).
He plans on the trip taking a year and hopes to reach as many people as he can.
