WILLIAMSBURG — After walking the Virginia Capital Trail last summer, Williamsburg resident Bob Mahr is on a mission to do it again in April, his pilgrimage to serve the community.
Mahr is once again raising funds for the Williamsburg House of Mercy and will set out to walk the 51.7-mile Virginia Capital Trail on April 12.
“It was such a success last year. Williamsburg House of Mercy gained several hundreds of dollars in donations that it would not have gotten otherwise. For them, it was so simple, you know one person decided they would go walk and raise the money. Doing it again and maybe adding a little more structure around it, we thought would be helpful,” Mahr said.
The Williamsburg House of Mercy and Mahr have set a goal of raising $10,000. Mahr also has a sponsor for this year’s walk in Frothy Moon Brewhouse.
A new addition this year is the opportunity for those interested to join Mahr on the walk. Mahr has created a full, half and quarter option. Folks can sign up to walk any of those distances alongside Mahr at this link.
“The walk is as much mental as it is physical. You just have to tell yourself that you’re doing it and don’t start questioning. You just do it. If you can mentally tackle it, it’s not physically demanding in a sense that you’re not running, but it’s demanding in the sense of the length of time on your feet,” Mahr said.
During his 2024 walk, Mahr dedicated certain mile markers along the 51.7-mile trail to various donors. He will do that again this year, as well as pray for certain individuals at certain points during his walk. He notes that those chances to pray for others really helped him persevere.
“I was doing it by myself and having the ability to put my mind somewhere else was huge for me. Doing prayers and having conversations with people was a huge difference-maker. I don’t think I would have finished last year if I didn’t have that approach,” Mahr said.
Williamsburg House of Mercy said it is grateful to Mahr for his support.
“Bob’s commitment to the mission of Williamsburg House of Mercy is unparalleled. Last year there was an incredible outpouring of support for Bob’s walk which raised much-needed funds for Williamsburg House of Mercy. We are seeing a growing need in our community with neighbors utilizing our services. It’s heartwarming to see our local residents stepping up to support our organization,” Lisa Pacheco, Director of Development at Williamsburg House of Mercy, said.
When he and his two partners arrive back in Williamsburg, Mahr is hopeful that folks in the community will meet him at Frothy Moon Brewhouse for a celebratory beer.
“We have to show up. We’ve got to be there by 9 p.m. If they are stepping up to sponsor the walk and will be donating some of their sales to the cause, then we can’t not show up,” Mahr said.
Mahr will livestream his walk on April 12 to both his Facebook page and LinkedIn profile. To donate to Mahr’s walk or to learn more, visit his Pilgrimage to Serve page.