WILMINGTON, N.C. (WECT) – One Wilmington family took the trek to walk over 1,100 miles to support relief efforts in Asheville.
Lucien Ellison and his two sons, Jack and Archie, began their walk in the Outer Banks at Jockey’s Ridge on May 10, walking to the highest point in the Great Smoky Mountains, and finishing the journey in Asheville in early July.
They named their journey “Miles for Manna”, with money raised benefitting the Manna Food Bank.
“So we decided to choose Manna Food Bank because they helped 16 different counties, which a lot of them we would be walking through. So we could experience firsthand the devastation,” said Archie Ellison.
The journey took 64 consecutive days to ultimately raise over $40,000 for the cause; with hopes of reaching their goal of $50,000.
Money raised would benefit relief efforts, such as going toward food-insecure places.
The Ellison family saw everything from damaged buildings to downed trees on their journey.
“There were a lot of times where we were climbing over, trying to scurry under trees, stuff like that. The destruction was everywhere at once we got out there, to be honest,” said Jack Ellison.
Though the trek was tough at times, they found solace in knowing every step they took was one closer to making a difference.
“There were definitely times where it was mentally tough, you know, when you had 25 miles to go, had already done 15, and still have 10 to go that can be tough,” said Lucien Ellison.
Walking so far, for so long, is both a mental and physical undertaking.
The 19 and 20-year-old boys are learning many life lessons, from mental fortitude to perseverance.
“First day, we were talking and we were like, ‘oh 10 miles in, we still have 1,165 left this is hard to wrap your head around’. My dad used to say, ‘How do you eat an elephant? Take one bite at a time.’ And that really stuck with me the whole trip just taking one step at a time and trying not to think too far forward,” said Archie Ellison.
Though the trek is over for now, the boys don’t feel satisfied yet.
They want to go back to the western part of the state to continue relief efforts, especially walking through the areas still closed from Hurricane Helene damage.
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