The Camino de Santiago, or The Way of St. James, is a medieval pilgrimage trail (actually a network of trails, depending where one begins), ending at the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela in Spain. The Camino was the backdrop (and true star) of the 2010 movie “The Way,” starring Martin Sheen.

East Cobb (and former Vinings Cumberland) Rotarian, Brad Groff, will be walking the Camino’s “French Way” this September and October, starting in St Jean Pied de Port, France, up and over the Pyrenees, and about 500 miles / 800 km west to Santiago. His initial motivation was to push himself to get in walking shape after Achilles tendon and hip replacement surgeries, and to do something memorable for an upcoming milestone birthday.

For continued inspiration to complete his pilgrimage, Brad has initiated a fundraiser using The Rotary Foundation’s “Raise for Rotary” online tool (https://raise.rotary.org/Brad-Groff/challenge) to raise awareness and funds for Rotary’s polio eradication program. As Brad noted, “500 miles is a long walk for an old man living out of a backpack, so I really need the encouragement and support of my Rotary family to keep me going!”

His milestone birthday happens to roughly coincide with World Polio Day on October 24, and Brad’s father is a polio survivor, so Rotary’s polio eradication effort has been a personal passion of his since joining Rotary over 20 years ago. Combining his long walk with a fundraiser to fight polio, a disease that stops some of its victims from walking altogether, was a natural fit.

All contributions to our Rotary Pilgrim’s fundraiser go 100% directly to The Rotary Foundation’s Polio Fund, and will be credited to your and your club’s PHF recognition accounts. Using the Foundation’s “Raise for Rotary” online tool makes it easy to contribute, and you will receive a 501(c)(3) tax receipt from the Foundation. And as you likely know, our contributions to Rotary’s Polio Fund are matched 2-for-1 by the Gates Foundation.

Brad says “Buen Camino, End Polio Now, and THANK YOU!”

Watch for updates and photos from the Camino on the fundraising page, and for a recap of the walk and the fundraiser in a future District 6900 Newsletter.

The link again to contribute is https://raise.rotary.org/Brad-Groff/challenge