500 Mile Hike to Support John Kerry's Presidential Bid Nears Completion

For Maryland native Jay Gelman, conventional methods of political support seemed inadequate, so he took matters into his own hands, and feet. Gelman decided to hike the 557-mile distance from Kerrys home state of Massachusetts to Washington, DC.

WASHINGTON, DC (PRWEB) June 30, 2004 -- Some donate money. Some attend rallies. Some display bumper stickers. Some ignore the political process altogether. For Maryland native Jay Gelman, conventional methods of political support seemed inadequate, so he took matters into his own hands, and feet.

In a show of support for Presidential hopeful, John Kerry, Gelman decided to hike the 557-mile distance from Kerrys home state of Massachusetts to Washington, DC. Gelman stated My hike is a precursor to Kerry's move from Massachusetts to the White House."

The 29-year old software architect took a leave of absence from work to make the 4-week journey. He began the trip on May 27, departing from Sheffield, Massachusetts, where he made his way to the Appalachian Trail. During the hike, Gelman will pass through CT, NY, NJ, PA, MD, WV, before arriving in Washington, DC on Wednesday, June 30. Gelman hikes 15-20 miles per day, staying in Appalachian Trail shelters at night.

When asked about the reasons behind this significant undertaking, Gelman replied, I strongly believe that the citizens of this country will be better served under a Kerry administration. This hike serves to draw attention to the importance of participating in the political process. I also hope to raise money for the Kerry campaign."

Jay Gelman
917-697-1915, or
Tim Herbert
703-861-6104

Visit Gelmans donation page at:
https://action.johnkerry.com/mysite/?source=00020625