‘Pacin Parson’ plans round-trip, benefit walk to the coast

Don Stevenson plans to walk more than 300 miles to the Cape Disappointment Lighthouse at Ilwaco, off the southwest Washington coast, and return home to raise awareness and funds for the Spina Bifida Association of Washington State.

By Mark Klaas • March 5, 2010 1:34 pm
Auburn's Don Stevenson is prepared for another in-state walk for charity – this time a round-trip jaunt to the Cape Disappointment Lighthouse at Ilwaco for the Spina Bifida Association of Washington State.
Auburn's Don Stevenson is prepared for another in-state walk for charity – this time a round-trip jaunt to the Cape Disappointment Lighthouse at Ilwaco for the Spina Bifida Association of Washington State.

Don Stevenson plans to walk more than 300 miles to the Cape Disappointment Lighthouse at Ilwaco, off the southwest Washington coast, and return home to raise awareness and funds for the Spina Bifida Association of Washington State.

The 74-year-old Stevenson, known as the “Pacin’ Parson,” will be covering 30 miles a day in the Walk to Light for Spina Bifida Prevention campaign, a round-trip jaunt that officially begins March 18 and ends April 5.

Stevenson is a former teacher, pastor, volunteer, firefighter, truck driver and Marine. He has logged about 45,000 for charities since 1998.

In 2008, he finished a 13,000-mile walk – from Seattle to New York City – for the Huntington’s Disease Society of America and for a friend affected by the disorder.

In the last 11 years, Stevenson has performed many benefit walks for various charitable organizations and people with physical challenges, birth defects and debilitating diseases, namely the Alzheimer’s Association, Multiple Sclerosis Society, American Cancer Society, American Lung Association, Huntington’s Disease Society, Spina Bifida Society, Make-A-Wish Foundation, Maria Federicci Trust Fund, Special Olympics Organization.

His latest walk is for a good cause and for friends affected by the disease. Spina bifida, a permanently disabling birth defect, affects approximately one out of every 1,600 newborn babies. However, about 70 percent of spina bifida births can be prevented if pregnant women include sources of folic acid in their daily diets, according to physicians.

For more information, visit www.sbaws.org.

Plans for May

Stevenson also plans to walk 180 miles “across Texas” during the last three weeks of May, joining a ultra-walking woman he met on his cross-country trek two years ago. The Ohio woman, the Rev. Carol Cruise, lost a leg in a medical mishap 20 years ago. She is embarking on a “spiritual walk” along the perimeter of the United States. So far, she has walked more than 8,000 miles.

“She has requested that my wife (Loretta) and I join her while her support driver is absent for personal obligations in Ohio,” Stevenson said. “Carol is an amazing woman. So far she has worn out seven prostheses and will probably be on leg No. 8 by the time she arrives at her destination in Miami, Fla.

“After every mile, she plants a small wooden cross and then says a prayer for America,” Stevenson added. “When she has finished her walk in Florida next January, she will have planted over 10,000 crosses and will have said at least as many prayers for our country.”

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To make a contribution to the Walk to Light for Spina Bifida Prevention campaign, call: 1-888-289-3702 or visit www.firstgiving.com/sbaws.

You also can send checks to: SBA of Washington State, 2128 N. Pines Road, Suite 17-2, Spokane, WA 99206. Please indicate that your contribution is because of the “Walk to the Light”.