Sacramento man aims to walk 90 miles before 90th birthday for COVID relief

October 14, 2020

SACRAMENTO, Calif. —
An 89-year-old Sacramento man is on a mission to help people struggling during the pandemic.

Jack Benson set a goal to walk 90 miles for the COVID relief fund before his 90th birthday next May.

The money will go to nursing home frontline workers and residents at Eskaton Care Center in Sacramento where Benson was a former resident.

Benson’s friends say he wanted to do it to show his appreciation for all they do. They say he’s making strides, and even surpassing his walking goal.

“We thought 90 miles would be an aggressive goal for one year, but he’s already completed almost 140 miles. So he’s improved his goal, or enriched his goal, to walk 1,776 miles in honor of the founding of America, and really he said he’d like to walk 100 miles a year until his 100th birthday,” said Cherie Larkin, Benson’s family friend.

Benson has raised more than $800. He used the first round of funds on Wednesday for an appreciation luncheon at the assisted living center. View video.