KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Scott Kellough has been a regular volunteer at Harvesters for years, but one night, while sorting through cans of non-perishable food, he wondered if he could do more.
That was how the "Hunger Hike for Harvesters" was born.
Kellough decided that he would walk from the Harvesters warehouse in Topeka, Kan. to the one in Kansas City, Mo. Once the hike is done on Wednesday, he will have hiked 77 miles.
Those 77 miles have been split over a period of five days starting on May 26th. Each day, Kellough woke up before the sun and began to walk 18 miles.
"I started at roughly 5:15 in the morning and I started that early because I wanted to beat the heat. I knew it was going to get bad. My goal is to get 18 miles in."
The heat, which broke records over the weekend, was a force to be reckoned with.
"I thought he was crazy," said Janice Kellough, Scott's mother. "But I'm proud of him. It's quite an endeavor when it's going to be in the 90s."
Scott's mother and his father, Allen Kellough were with him every step of the way, though sometimes by car.
"If I was younger, I'd be out there with him," said Allen Kellough, "but that's not gonna happen."
Instead they are providing their son with support along the route by offering him water or a new pair of socks when needed. They also serve as his GPS.
"Real time GPS, by pointing go this way, go this way," said Kellough, "...they've been great."
Kellough plans to hike his last few miles Wednesday, something he’s excited about.
"I know as soon as I see the building I am probably going to ugly cry....luckily my glasses will cover it. It's gonna feel amazing."
Amazing, not because it will be the end of his journey, but because of the good that will come from it.
It’s part of a mission to raise awareness about what Harvesters does in the community and also raise funds to support those efforts.
"People can sponsor me as little as a nickel a mile, which is $3.85, roughly a cup of good coffee. Anywhere from that to say, a dollar a mile, $77. Anywhere in between, every dollar makes a difference."
And that is because Harvesters has the ability to turn one dollar into three meals. Which happens to be something his parents are happy about.
"It's gonna put a lot of meals on the table," said Allen Kellough, and "that's what it's all about."
Scott Kellough is planning on crossing the finish line at Harvesters around 2 p.m. Wednesday. During his hike, he's raised enough money to provide at least 4,900 meals. If you would like to donate, you are able to do so through the entire month of June.
