Ray (webmaster) on 1/26/2013 8:25:46 AM:
On Saturday, February 9, 2013, a group of long distance hikers will
walk 50 miles to commemorate one of the most impressive feats accomplished by an
active U.S. politician. Exactly 50 years prior, on February 9, 1963, Robert F. Kennedy
(RFK) walked 50 miles from Potomac, Maryland’s Great Falls area to Harper’s Ferry, West
Virginia, along the C&O Canal towpath. Just why and how RFK did, what some may say
was a crazy stunt, remains a mystery.
In 1963, U.S. President, John F. Kennedy (JFK), who emphasized physical fitness’
importance, challenged the U.S. military to a 50 mile march. JFK was emulating President
Theodore Roosevelt, who issued a similar directive in 1908.
JFK made it known that his White House staff should lead this challenge by example.
So, his brother, Attorney General, Robert F. Kennedy, no better prepared than the
thousands who would later “follow in his footsteps,” was the first to complete the 50 mile
challenge. He walked for nearly 18 hours in a pair of dress shoes in 20 degree weather,
perhaps under some of the worst conditions to attempt such a feat. Such personal heroics
spawned a 50-mile walk fad, an eye-opening example of what was humanly possible
if more of us used our imagination and pushed ourselves to the limit. This same New
Frontier, can-do era would lead to several other impressive innovations like space travel.
Ray Smith of Great Falls, Virginia, who leads walks in the Washington D.C. area and
Paul Kiczek, of Morris Township, New Jersey, founder of FreeWalkers.org, have issued a
challenge to the public to walk on February 9th. Many other long distance walkers have
promised to join them in Maryland and follow RFK’s 50-mile route of 50 years ago: A few
have committed to walk a portion of the distance with Kiczek and Smith. Some will walk
in other locations.
According to Smith, "The Kennedy brothers embodied the ‘can-do’ spirit of the times in
their cr