As David Barto walked with his friend Alex McGlohon just outside Mufreesboro in the pouring down rain, a stranger chased after them just to equip them with some umbrellas.
“All of a sudden we heard, ‘Hey, Mister,’ and he came to us with them. This guy was living in a weekly motel but he saw two strangers out in the rain and gave us those umbrellas,” Barto said. “The kindness of people was touching.”
This kind of experience was a common one during the 166-mile fundraising trek which took Barto and others from Collegedale to the state Capitol Building at the end of June.
The Bartos and supporters for Collegedale Tomorrow Foundation were walking in support of the Collegedale Commons development, which ultimately will provide the area with a permanent farmers market space and a cultural and recreational center.
Although they were not able to walk the full 166 miles due to the heat, combined, they walked over 500 miles, Barto estimated. And in doing so – with a heat index sometimes reaching 115 degrees – they hope the foundation will be remembered when it is time for the state to parcel out grant funding, to help the Collegedale Commons project reach its fundraising goal of $3.7 million for the first phase.
So far, Barto said, $1.2 million has been raised, but with grant applications filled out and answers expected later this year, he is hopeful that number will grow quickly. And, he added, a donor has offered to match up to $1.8 million.
“Every city and every county in the state has groups asking for grant funding,” Barto said. “So walking to the Capitol to speak to officials was our way of getting in the queue for that money. Everyone’s asking for something, so sometimes you have to do something bold and audacious.”
To learn more about the Collegedale Tomorrow Foundation and Collegedale Commons or to donate, visit collegedale.foundation.