75-mile Michigan march against genocide big success, $21k raised for Gaza children
Grand Rapids, MI – On June 26, more than 40 activists and organizers, led by Palestine Solidarity Grand Rapids (PSGR), embarked on a spirited march of 75 miles. Over five days of walking from Grand Rapids to Lansing they successfully raised funds for Palestinian children.
Traversing narrow shoulders on busy highways and dusty country roads, through 90-degree weather and heavy rain, the group set out to raise $5000. However, by the time they reached their destination at the Michigan State Capitol on June 30, they smashed through their initial goal and raised more than $21,000.
The money goes to two groups, HEAL Palestine and Playgrounds for Palestine. Because of the overwhelming success, PSGR added a third beneficiary to the fundraiser: The Gaza Infant Nutrition Alliance.
In the end, 27 people marched all 75 miles, with more than 50 people joining for at least one day. Many expressed their regret they could not join for all five days, limited by work and family obligations. While the group initially expected numbers to drop dramatically after the first day, marchers exhibited their resilience, dedication and commitment with every step they took, uniting around the shared struggle of displacement and Palestinian liberation. Only a few walkers dropped out, and many came back after taking time to recuperate.
Despite occasional hostility, the marchers were met with unexpected care and hospitality in every city and the countryside. West of Ionia, the marchers encountered a mother and her adult daughter sitting on their front porch. Intrigued by the exhausted, neon clad group wandering their country road, they asked what was happening. When they heard that the group was raising money for Palestinian children, they quickly grabbed $120 from their wallets. “Politics doesn’t matter,” the elder mother said. “We should always help children.”
Community members drove up and down the route looking for the marchers to deliver cash donations, popsicles and frozen drinks and ice-cold water. A carful of Muslim American women wearing hijabs drove back and forth half a dozen times west of Portland, hanging out the windows and sunroof, horn blazing, triumphant cheers bringing tears to the eyes of every marcher. “That was everything I needed to keep me going,” said one marcher at the front.
The event, organized to mirror the Global March To Gaza, was put together quickly in under two months. Six coordinators managed and implemented the logistics of organizing the route, scheduling almost 30 drivers to meet walkers every couple of miles with cold drinks and snacks. They set up shelters on the side of the road to keep marchers safe from heat illness, managing medical care with doctors, nurses and street medics. The hard-working organizers also found accommodations and respite stops along the way, hauling marchers’ gear to each new city. They coordinated another 30 volunteers to bring hot meals for 27 to 50 people from Grand Rapids three times per day.
One doctor who joined the group to march said, “As a senior marcher, I have to agree that activist types are not always the most gifted in organization, and what we experienced on these five days was truly inspired and incredibly skillful organization. Kudos to everyone who helped make it run like a well-oiled machine.”
This was the group’s first attempt at organizing something of this scale and they learned many lessons on how to effectively implement a high-stress, multi-day event. The positive impact on marchers was clear.
“This has been the most impactful experience of my life,” said one marcher. Another echoed the sentiment by saying “I wasn’t expecting this to change my perspective so much.”