A 9-year-old boy walking across the state to raise awareness for homeless children will stop in Gainesville today.
Zach Bonner is walking 250 miles from Tampa to Tallahassee for the organization Stand Up for Kids. Stand Up For Kids promotes awareness and raises money for children who are homeless around the nation.
Zach will start in Micanopy early today and will stop in Gainesville at the corner of Southwest 13th Street and Museum Road at 3:45 p.m.
His journey began Nov. 3 and is planned to end Nov. 26. His goal is to walk more than 10 miles a day. At night, he sleeps in an RV with his family. He will celebrate Thanksgiving and his 10th birthday while traveling.
Zach wears a Global Positioning System that tracks his progress, which is then documented on the Web site zachtracker.com.
"I think Zach is doing a very brave thing," said Danielle Emenhiser, director of the Student Government Community Political Affairs Cabinet. "He wants to raise awareness for homeless kids around the nation, and I think what he's doing is a great thing."
After he arrives in Gainesville, Zach will speak to the Student Senate at the Senate meeting tonight at 7:30.
There will also be a reception for Zach when he arrives. The reception will be held in Reitz Union, Rooms 288 and 291.
Zach founded The Little Red Wagon Foundation, a nonprofit organization that helps children in distress.
