DSF: Tell us about yourself.
EL: I grew up outside of Washington, DC, but went to high school in Abington, VA. I am the fifth oldest of seven kids, four sisters and two brothers.
DSF: What made you attend Virginia Tech?
EL: After high school, my Dad told me that I could either go to college, or get a job. I decided to go to college. I chose Virginia Tech because it was just a few hours away, and had a great reputation. I studied Journalism there.
DSF: What was your experience like in the Kappa Delta chapter?
EL: I joined the first semester of my freshman year because I found that the men of the Kappa Delta chapter were anything but the stereotypical fraternity guys – they were different. My experience in the chapter is one of the biggest reasons that I am such a big advocate of community service. I served as chapter president in 2002, and really learned a lot.
DSF: Tell us about Walk About America.
EL: Walk About America was created in 2004 as a community involvement and awareness organization. In 2005 and 2006, I have dedicated the work of the organization to the fight against cancer, however, the organization is not a cancer organization. At the end of this year and throughout 2007, I will be traveling the country tackling major national issues such as immigration and other issues as well – letting people know what real people think about the issues.
DSF: What are the organization’s goals?
EL: Walk About America’s goals are to raise awareness for issues. I do one campaign per year. For the first couple years, I have decided to help in the fight against cancer because it is an issue that is near and dear to my heart. My mother and several other family members are cancer survivors. I actually began volunteering at a cancer center in Richmond, VA, and decided that I wanted to do something big to help, so I founded this organization, and walked across America to build awareness and raise money for it.
DSF: Now you have a book coming out about your experiences. Tell us about the book, and how it came into being.
EL: Towards the end of my walk, I needed to share my experiences and people’s stories who I met along the way. So, I started writing. The book went from originally 600 pages and was edited down to under 300, which was tough. I have to be honest, it was more difficult to write the book than to do the walk.
As I say in the book, my walk was originally about raising money, but what I realized while walking was that the walk was about cancer and people, and not really about money. I still receive calls that people I got close to during my walk are dying today. I’m just glad to can get their stories out in this book.
DSF: How were you able to get it published, and where will it be available for purchase?
EL: Walk About America was an organization that I just decided that I wanted to get up and running. For this book, I decided to try to go to agents and publishers to see if they were interested in it. I now have what I call a “Rejection Collection” from them, as they were hesitant to get behind the book.
What I’ve now done in order to get it out, is pretty much do everything myself. I have brought in designers that I know, editors that I know, and many others who are in positions who could help me. I started Walk About America Publishing, and that ’s how it will be printed.
Actually my time in Delta Sig helped me a lot in this endeavor, as I learned how to network with people so I could then come to them when I needed help with this book.
DSF: What were the best and worst experiences you had during your walk?
EL: I would say the best was enjoying the process and meeting the people. When I got to the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco at the end of the walk, I really wasn’t that excited. I really enjoyed the time I spent walking, and this was just the end of the road.
The worst things were seeing people die along my walk. It was terrible to see them suffering, and then to hear that they had passed away.
DSF: Tell us about your goals for the future.
EL: I want the organization to lead communities across the country. There are real issues across the country that affect real people and communities that the American public needs to be made aware of. This is not a political thing. It’s the journalist inside me that wants to go out there to inform the public about what’s going on with real people across this country.
DSF: Back to your Fraternity experience, what was your greatest memory of your time in the chapter?
EL: When I was president, myself and the house manager were able to secure the chapter’s first chapter house. We poured our guts into getting the house, and we were able to make the deal to make it happen. The chapter is still there, and it is a tremendous source of pride for the chapter now.
DSF: What’s the best advice you’ve ever been given?
EL: During my walk, I stayed with a couple named Pete and Sunshine Gottfried in Roper,NC. When I got to their place, Pete helped me a great deal because my feet were bleeding and raw, and he said, “You’ve gotta keep going no matter what.” I always remember that quote as I am doing my work.
DSF: When does the book hit shelves?
EL: The book, called Take Steps With a Purpose is available August 21 at its web site
www.takestepswithapurpose.com. In addition, I will be doing a 25 city tour starting September 1 to promote the book and give talks about my experience. I hope to see brothers at some of these talks.
An excerpt from take Steps with a Purpose…
From The Mountain State:
“Abbigail was only 17 months old at the time. She was battling neuro-blastoma, a rare form of childhood cancer. Andrea, her mother, said it had been a long journey.
"Once she [Abbie] started losing her hair, we knew it was real."
Abbie Grace was a beautiful child with baby blue eyes. Her light brown hair was trying to grow back. On the outside, she looked normal, but on the inside, something she couldn’t understand was invading her body. While other kids her age were playing, she was at the hospital, dealing with an immense amount of pain.
“Would you like to hold her?” Andrea held up Abbie.
I took little Abbie into my arms and cradled her. When I looked into her eyes, my heart ached and my soul began to suffer. Her pain was my pain. It was like little Abbie and I were communicating on another level. Although she couldn’t speak, her eyes said, “Help me. Help me.” Here she was, only 17 months old, fighting for her life.
It made me angry seeing little Abbie like that, seeing all those kids like that. I wanted to turn over a table or break a chair on the wall. It wasn’t fair. Life isn ’t.
Tears began to flow the moment I walked out of the hospital. I wasn’t about to cry in front of Abbie, or her mom, or anybody. The pain on little Abbie’s face was seared into my memory. Her strength and courage inspired me. She gave me hope. She had done so much for me that I wanted to do something to help her. If this campaign could make a difference for just one minute, it would mean an eternity to me. I found out later that Abbie Grace passed away on December 9, 2005, five days after her second birthday.”
Taken with permission from www.takestepswithapurpose.com.
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