Man on 4,400-Mile Walk Passes Through Town

With little fanfare, one man's long journey passed by Watsonville during the weekend.

Matt Kerner, whose brother served multiple combat tours in Iraq, set out June 3 on a 4,400-mile hike across the United States to raise money and awareness for military personnel while meeting people who support the troops.

Kerner camped at Santa Cruz Redwoods RV Park on Friday night and, after a pancake breakfast Saturday morning, walked 25 miles south to Moss Landing. His route skirted Watsonville, heading down San Andreas Road, then across the Pajaro River west of the city.

"I'm now passing Aptos, CA making my way towards Watsonville," Kerner messaged to his supporters via Facebook on Saturday. "Feeling exceptional today and I even think that I have broken in my shoes now. One step at a time I am getting closer to reaching the first 100 miles of the walk across America for 10 Million people who Support our Troops."

Kerner's journey began in San Francisco. He will hike south on the coastline to Los Angeles, then head inland. His goal is to hike up to 30 miles a day on his way to the finish line: Washington D.C.

He grew up in Denver, Colo., hiking and camping with his family. After his brother, Justin, served in the Army and Kerner learned more about the issues troops deal with when they return to civilian life, including the prevelance of suicide among those who've been at war, he decided to take action.

"I believe that we are all indebted to our veterans," Kerner wrote in a statement on his website. "I believe that a veteran should never be homeless, or hopeless."

Kerner's goal is to prove there are 10 million people who support the troops. To learn more, visit http://activeheroes.org/kerner/.