100 Days of Madness - A Cross Country Journey With a Message

Online, April 26, 2011 (Newswire.com) - On December 19, Milton Miller, set out from Miami on the journey of a lifetime. When the soles of his sneakers hit the pavement, it wasn't for a quick jog around the block, but rather the first steps to what is to be a 2700 mile run to Los Angeles. Advancing across the nation at a rate of a marathon a day, Miller spends nearly 11 of his waking hours in constant motion. Never a runner in the past, Milton's journey is unique in that he embodies the power of transformation. Milton is running to prove that change is possible. This 47-year old Miami couch potato is running to raise money for underprivileged kids in Africa.

When Miller first decided to take on this cross-country challenge he was out of shape. When he began, Miller could run little more than a quarter mile, quite a difference from the coast-to-coast run he's doing right now! But, it isn't his own well-being he set out running for, he runs for the well-being of an impoverished nation. "Self discovery, challenge, self improvement," Milton explains, "All those motivations are great, but they are not enough. If the goal was just self improvement I would run enough to improve myself ... To make a 2700 mile run across the country the motivation has to come from the outside.

In Milton's case, the call to action came from long time friend, Eden Orfanos, an intriguing woman whose marathon record is only overshadowed by her good works in Africa. Eden lived a successful life in Los Angeles, until she awoke one morning, needing more. She journeyed to the most impoverished places throughout Africa; she connected with the people and began to see avenues where she could make a difference. Though her works she's created schools and orphanages throughout Uganda and Rwanda. Eden is an achiever. She taught Milton to run, and now he's on his own path of greatness.
Milton explains: "When I am running and feeling pain, I can remember that she has run many marathons, and she felt much more pain than I ever experienced. When I am discouraged I remember talking to her when she has been sleeping in the cold or when we talked on the phone while she was in Africa, facing dangers, and fighting poverty and indifference, and I sometimes heard her cry. When I miss a shower while travelling or I am thirsty I remember that she spends weeks in villages where there is no running water, no roads, no phones, and very little hope. She is the hope."

Milton Miller will end his journey this Friday around 4pm at the Santa Monica Pier. In all it will have taken slightly more than 100 days as Milton found many friends along his journey and took the time to get to know them. Heartfelt accounts of these connections are found throughout his website. Many of these new friends will join him Thursday evening, as he enjoys his first LA dinner at his favorite restaurant, the Red Lion Tavern in Silverlake, http://www.redliontavern.net/. He invites residents, do-gooders and running enthusiasts alike to join in the celebration, kicking off at 7pm. Drink and dining specials will be available in conjunction with Milton's cause and every dollar contributed will support Eden's project in Africa.

Through heat, rain and cold weather, Miller has kept his incredible pace. Every step he has progressed punctuates the power of change. Milton Miller is proving that one man can make a difference, not only in his own life, but also in the world. You can track his progress across the country at http://100daysofmadness.com/. Find out more about Eden's project with the youth in Africa at: http://ecye.org/ and edeninafrica.com.