Don’s current cause is Huntington’s disease (HD), a devastating hereditary, degenerative brain disorder for which there is currently no good treatment or cure. HD diminishes the ability to walk, think, talk and reason. One out of every 10,000 Americans has HD. Typically, it strikes between the ages of 30 and 45, but as early as age two. The offspring of an infected parent has a 50% chance of inheriting the diseased gene.

This HD Awareness Walk is dedicated to Don’s dear friend Jack Meteyer, whose mother and three siblings died with HD. This is also dedicated to all those who suffer from the effects of Huntington’s.

Jack was born John Hillard in Pittsfield, Massachusetts on October 5, 1928. He was number four of six children. In 1930 he and four of his siblings were placed in an orphanage. Jack was the only one to be adopted.

In 1947 Jack joined the U.S. Army Air Corps, from which he retired as a Chief Master Sergeant (E-9) after 29 years of service. He worked for the Boeing Company in Seattle until he retired in 1991.

Since HD is inherited, Jack resorted to being tested. The result was negative. Therefore, none of his children or future genera-tions are in danger of inheriting it.

Jack and his wife of 50 years, Nadyne, live in Auburn, Washington and are blessed with five children and nine grandchildren.

Jack and Don met and be-came fast friends in 2002 when Nadyne discovered a slightly eccentric man named Don walking laps around Auburn’s Game Farm Park. Don was born in Columbus, Ohio on January 4, 1935 in the middle of a snowstorm. He was number four of eight children.

He dropped out of high school to join the US Marine Corps in 1954. After leaving the Marines in 1957, he completed three years of high school and four years of college in four years, receiving his high school diploma in 1959 and his Bachelor of Theology Degree (cum laude) in 1961.

driver. After 28 years with Darigold Inc., he retired in 1994 to devote his time to writing.

Don and Loretta have been married since 1983. About his lifestyle and his reason for walking, Don explains, “God has blessed me with good health, and out of gratitude I’ve tried sharing that blessing with those who are less fortunate. I’m a happy, wealthy man. I don’t possess much of this world’s goods, but I do possess that which money cannot purchase, Love, Joy and Peace!”

Since 1998 Don has walked to raise money for various charities. In one emotional walk, Don hiked 106 miles through the Cascade Mountains blindfolded in empathy for Maria Federici, a young Washingtonian blinded in a traffic accident caused by an unsecured load.

In 2004, Don ascended to the 12,300-ft. level of Mount Rainier as part of the American Lung Association’s Climb for Clean Air.

That’s how he became North America’s Pacin’ Parson.

In January of 2007 Don began a campaign against Huntington’s Disease. His current goal is to raise $20,000 for the Northwest Chapter of Huntington’s Disease Society of America by walking 13,000 miles. He walked 10,000 of those miles throughout Washington State and in May he headed east from the Space Needle in Seattle for the final 3,000 miles and will end in Sep-tember at New York’s Empire State Building.

This portion of the walk brought Don through Iron River, Wisconsin, around lunch time on Monday, June 30. He is walking about 30 miles a day, except on Sunday.

If you would like to make a contribution in support of Don’s effort, you can call 206-464-9598 or send your check to: HD Society of America, Code #070TH03, PO Box 33345, Seattle WA 98133.