KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCTV) – A 300-mile walk across Missouri began Thursday morning at the Truman Sports Complex, aiming to turn attention from this summer’s World Cup into support for refugees and immigrants.
Ryan Hudnall, executive director of Della Lamb Community Services, started the trek, called the Walk for Welcome, in the Arrowhead Stadium parking lots. The walk will end 23 days and more than 300 miles later at the Gateway Arch in St. Louis.
“Over the next 23 days, I’ll be walking across the state of Missouri, more than 300 miles, engaging with communities all across the state to think about what does it mean to be a community of welcome?” Hudnall said.
Hudnall is not walking alone. Dozens of supporters joined him at the start of the journey.
Della Lamb Community Services(KCTV)
“This is the Walk for Welcome. And what better place, no better place to start than Arrowhead. You know, the site of just a global gathering this past summer,” Hudnall said.
Hudnall said not everyone walking today will go the full distance, but people will join him at points throughout the 23-day journey as he passes through their communities.
A.J. Hanson, Della Lamb’s volunteer manager, is among those walking.
“I think some of the message out there about refugees hasn’t been positive. But I think we really want to get a sense of how people have been welcomed in their communities and across Missouri, and how they want to see more welcome out there and get people’s stories,” Hanson said.
Hudnall said his sleeping arrangements will vary throughout the trip. He said he will spend some nights on church floors, some camping, and some staying with hosts along the route.
Hudnall said planning for the walk started in January, building on partnerships Della Lamb has developed over the past seven years.
Della Lamb Community Services(KCTV)
Hudnall said the goal of the walk is to turn ‘welcome’ into ‘belonging.’
“When I talk with displaced persons, that word quickly becomes belonging. And belonging is so rich. It means that you’re a member of a community that sees you, acknowledges you, and walks alongside you. So, this morning I feel like I belong,” Hudnall said.
The first stop on the 23-day journey is Lee’s Summit.
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