This East Cobb Rotarian is happy to report that I completed my Camino walk from St. Jean Pied de Port, France to Santiago de Compostela, Spain on October 20. Total distance covered was about 780 km (about 485 miles) in 42 days. The experience was as wide-ranging as the distance was long - excitement, frustration, beauty, pain, exhilaration, exhaustion…. Many extreme highs and lows, both in terms of emotions and the actual hills along the Way.  The first picture here is me, representing Rotary and “End Polio Now” in Santiago Cathedral Square - the traditional endpoint of the Camino.

The best part (as with many things) was the people. My hiking partner Scot really pulled me through some of the tough spots when I wasn’t sure my aching knees could handle another hill, and saved me when I missed a turn and got pretty far off course one day. The camaraderie of the Camino forged new friendships with fellow peregrinos (Camino pilgrims) from all around the world with shared goals and challenges. Sometimes it was just a smile and a “Buen Camino,” sometimes a reminder not to forget one’s hiking poles after a coffee stop, sharing ibuprofens (“Vitamin I”) when someone’s supply ran out, or simply a point in the right direction - lots of little things that added up to a big part of the experience and the beauty of the Camino.

While my Camino is complete, Rotary’s fight to eradicate polio worldwide continues - as does my Camino Fundraiser for Rotary’s Polio Fund. I’m writing this update on World Polio Day, here in Finisterre (literally, “the end of the earth” to the Romans who built a lot of the original infrastructure of the Camino), a frequent extension of the Camino after Santiago. The generosity of my friends and family (including my Rotary family) in support of the fundraiser has been amazing, and that support was a great inspiration for me to keep putting one foot in front of the other when the walking got difficult. 

Thanks to everyone who has contributed, we have exceeded my original goal of $10,000 on the fundraiser. So I’ve set a new goal of $15,000. And to help reach that goal, I will match new contributions to get us there. Contributions go directly to the Polio Fund of the Rotary Foundation, and you and your club will receive the Foundation credit and Paul Harris points for your contributions: visit https://raise.rotary.org/Brad-Groff/challenge

Also, I am thinking of putting together a presentation about the Camino in general, my Camino experience, and how to use Rotary’s “Raise for Rotary” online fundraiser tool (https://raise.rotary.org/) for your own fundraisers. Please reach out to me if your club would be interested in that presentation - bradgroff@gmail.com