CHEROKEE, N.C. (WLOS) — A runner in Cherokee is going the distance for a cause personal to him.
A few years ago, Kallup McCoy, from Cherokee, ran the Trail of Tears to help start a recovery home on the reservation.
McCoy is a recovered drug addict.
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Now, he’s gearing up for a run across the entire country to raise funds for his non-profit, RezHOPE.
We caught up with him Friday, getting in some training at Lake Junaluska.
Joined by residents of theRez HOPEGadugi House, an addiction recovery center, in Cherokee, N.C. They explained the importance of the run and the positive impact of the home in Cherokee.
“I wanted to attach my running to a greater purpose. And I said Well, let’s go ahead and run across the nation. And let’s get some social media. Let’s get some eyes on what we’re doing here with our organization,” said McCoy.
Gadugi: By definition in the Cherokee language, this means “community coming together to help someone in need to do what they are unable to do alone, without question and without hesitation.”
“That got me, like, out of a lot of trouble. And, like, got my family back,” said Johnny Ray Lossiah.
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McCoy plans on starting his run on March 22 in San Francisco and finishing it in Wilmington, N.C. in mid-May. He plans on running 62 miles a day.
His southern route will take him through the Cherokee Nation in Oklahoma and along the Trail of Tears.
