Roadway Rule: Walk to Chicago, Then Change Communities From Within

Camas, WA —  Dale Rule doesn’t just walk. He walks with a purpose. As he prepares to embark on a 60-day walk to Chicago on June 17, he’s doing so to put a spotlight on obesity — and to change communities from within.

”Years ago, I weighed 335 pounds, and I dropped 102 pounds in six months by changing how I eat, and by walking,” said Rule. “So I just keep on walking.”

Two summers ago, Rule, a football coach and high school security guard, walked to San Diego, which is a major accomplishment, and this year he’s been training for another incredible trek. His strategy is to walk 2,150 miles from Portland to Chicago, averaging 35.5 miles per day, with his family accompanying him in an RV. That’s approximately 4.2 million steps!

His goal is to initially raise $20,000 for this journey: https://www.gofundme.com/dales-pdx-2-chi-walk

He’s also encouraging people to purchase T-shirts through his non-profit website, www.everyonewalk.com

But, that’s really just the beginning, he says.

“I want a million people to pledge $1.50 per month to build community parks, and I want the first one to be built right here in Camas,” he said. “We are dominated by obesity, and the health problems this epidemic brings with it. We see obesity, but we don’t see how others feel about themselves. It’s a symptom of a personal worth problem in America. I see every day how people try to live up to what other people think they should be. You see kids dress or act in a rebellious nature. They want to know they’re loved and want to be belong to a family or group. So, these kids do what they can to get attention.”

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Rule believes that when families break down, the community needs to help repair the damage by working together. His vision is to build community parks, on 40-acre parcels, that have all the necessary athletic amenities necessary to help reduce obesity — and build communities without spending a single taxpayer dime. Each park would have athletic fields, tennis courts, basketball courts, walking trails, etc. Each park would be funded by $1.50 per month pledges.

He ultimately envisions 20 percent of Americans pledging $1.50 per month to build and maintain these parks. That’s $97 million a month to accomplish his goal.

”I believe we can re-build communities from the inside out,” said Rule. “We’d need people to run these parks and facilities, and those would be the people in these neighborhoods. We have to teach people how to love themselves again. We have to give people a door so they have an option to change. When I was fat, I had zero discipline. I turned it all to food. And, that’s one of the problems we face today. There is generational poverty, generational obesity — that’s all some people know.”

Rule himself comes from a rough childhood with little security, and the absence of a father.

“Foootball probably saved my life,” he said. “Because before that I was a hotheaded, angry, smart mouth kid. I was very short tempered. The only consistent thing I had was Dale.”

As June 17 gets closer, Rule knows the trek is going to be incredibly hard. He knows he’ll get sick to his stomach. He knows his body will ache. He knows there will be moments he feels like dying.

“I know there will be moments when I ask myself ‘Can you do this, Dale? Do you have it in you?’ We’ll get it done.”

The Rule RV during the 60-day walking trek.