Tuesday, February 2, 2010

Metro State Alum Jonathan Stalls to Walk Across America to raise funds


This March, Jonathon Stalls and his dog, Kanoa, will embark on a coast-to-coast cross country trek covering an estimated 3,000 miles from Delaware to San Francisco, CA - and he’s taking Kiva with him. For more information on how you can help out, click on his KivaWalk website.

He will be walking through hundreds of towns, cities, and communities in Delaware, Maryland, West Virginia, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, Colorado, Utah, Nevada, and California.

Why is Jonathon going on this cross country trek?

“Since living in Ireland (2005-2006), visiting Honduras in 2007, and swapping life stories with many ‘travelers,’ I have craved an adventure that would challenge my daily activities, expectations, and priorities. The speed and growth of our commodity driven and over-communicated culture feeds a personal call to engage in quieter, slower, and more intentional experiences with less. 
This walk will be a journey in listening, eating, sharing, and growing with: strangers, neighbors, officials, hikers, animals, wind, and dirt.”


Why is he partnering with Kiva?

"I wanted and needed a larger purpose that would stretch far beyond my own personal attractions to such a trek. I came across Kiva in my social entrepreneurship class at Metropolitan State College of Denver in the fall of 2007. I craved to do more the minute I clicked on the link, browsed the website, and began donating. After meeting and engaging Kiva staff and many hours of creative brainstorming ‘we’ have cultivated an exciting relationship to spread Kiva’s mission and build lending communities across the country. I am more than enthusiastic to work with one of our nation’s leading incubators in the fight to alleviate extreme poverty across the world – GO KIVA!” 


Jonathon is requesting the support and hospitality of the Kiva lending community. If you wish to support him, learn more here about the following ways you can get involved:


Walk: "I strongly encourage everyone and anyone to take a day, a week, or more and find a way to meet me on the trail."

Host: "Connect with me at kivawalk@gmail.com if you or anyone you know can host Kanoa and I along the way."

Inspire: "Have me speak and be the reason to host a party that will help to raise awareness about Kiva in your community!"


Connect: "Put me in touch with someone you know at a University along the trail. I'd love to present to students and/or teachers who are interested in learning more about how to bring Kiva onto their Campus and into their classrooms!"


Donate: "Contribute to my personal walk budget"

Also, we're thrilled to announce that Jonathon has partnered with Sports Basement in San Francisco! They will be hosting a fundraising party for Kiva Walk on Wednesday, February 10th! Come out and support the walk, have a couple of drinks and take advantage of a special discount (20% discount on any personal purchases).

When: Wednesday, February 10th from 6-8 pm

Where: Presidio Sports Basement, 610 Old Mason Street, San Francisco, CA 94129

RSVP: Click here to RSVP and invite friends to the event!

How it supports the walk: Gear on Jonathon's Kiva Walk gear list can be purchased at a 20% discount! Sports Basement will ship all gear donations to him in Colorado free of charge. Discounted ski lift tickets (for Squaw Valley, Sugar Bowl, Sierra-at-Tahoe, Alpine Meadows, Homewood resorts) will also be sold at the event with 100% of sales supporting Kiva Walk!

Jonathon would like to thank Kiva staff, The Sports Basement and all friends and family who are supporting this adventure. Check out Jonathon's website to stay updated on his trip!

This information taken from the Kiva website Kiva is the world's first person-to-person micro-lending website, empowering individuals to lend to unique entrepreneurs around the globe.


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