Firefighter Walks from Macomb to Grand Rapids

C&G Newspapers

Joe Warne, a firefighter from Macomb Township has completed his walk to GR and we had him on to talk about it....

Joe finished his walk and was able to raise just under 14 thousand dollars for Neighbors United. Take a listen to Joe talk about his journey.

The great news continues for Joe, Yesterday he got a call from Seger's camp letting him know that they will match the amount he has already raised!

Here is the whole story:

“Our bunker coat — our bunker pants… our hats our gloves — when you add the pack it’s an extra 30 so it’s about 65 total,” said Joe Warne. "When people see this guy wearing all this gear, carrying an American flag, what’s going on — we can let the public know we’re not just in danger on our jobs,”

Warne has been raising money and helping families through his charity “Neighbors United” for several years. Last year, he raised more than $30,000, but now, he’s raising money for firefighters suffering from cancer with this walk.

“I know there’s been some state money that’s been made available, but we know there’s always a need for more and firefighters are the last people to ever say they need help.”

Warned says he is hoping to walk between 30 and 40 miles daily — between 12 and 16 hours each day — with a few stops along the way to hydrate and change shoes if necessary. He plans on reaching Grand Rapids on Saturday and if all works as planned, he’ll be back at work answering fire calls on Sunday.

So far, Warne has received $4,000 in pledges. He’s hoping more people continue to step up the donations as he makes his journey. If you want to donate money, you can donate through the Neighbors United Facebook donation drive.

You can also donate to the group's PayPal: Neighborsunitedmi@gmail.com — if you’re attempting to earmark the money for their latest fundraiser for firefighters with cancer, you should make a note of it when you donate.

https://twitter.com/MattSmithWXYZ/status/1135883226516545536?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1135883226516545536&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.wxyz.com%2Fnews%2Fa-macomb-township-firefighter-is-walking-140-miles-to-grand-rapids-in-full-gear-for-one-reason

Big Jim went and found Joe while he was on his walk and got a few minutes with him: