WILLIAMSBURG— Bob Mahr recently completed his annual “Pilgrimage to Serve” walking the entire length of the Virginia Capital Trail, raising money for the Williamsburg House of Mercy.
Mahr began the walk in 2024 after drawing inspiration from Presidents John F. Kennedy and Theodore Roosevelt and their efforts to challenge the military to maintain strong physical fitness standards. He completed the inaugural walk on his own.
On May 2, Mahr started walking at midnight, beginning in Richmond, with friends in tow. The trek took them along 52 miles before it wrapped up in Jamestown.
The Williamsburg House of Mercy, the beneficiary of the walk, is a nonprofit organization that provides food, shelter, and support services to people in need in the Greater Williamsburg area. Founded in 1979, it offers programs such as a food pantry, soup kitchen, homeless day shelter, and assistance for families in crisis, with a mission to help individuals move toward stability and self-sufficiency.
With his walks in 2024 and 2025, Mahr raised $8,000 each year for the organization. This year, he has doubled that amount.
“We are over $14,000 raised for Williamsburg House of Mercy – with at least another $1500 still to come, maybe more. We raised $8000 each of the first two years – so we may be doubling that figure when it is all said and done,” Mahr said.
During his 2024 walk, Mahr dedicated certain mile markers along the 51.7-mile trail to various donors. In 2026, he did that again, as well as praying for certain individuals at certain points during his walk.
He notes that those chances to pray for others helped him persevere.
“I was doing it and having the ability to put my mind somewhere else was huge for me. Prayers and having conversations with people was a huge difference-maker.” Mahr said.
The 2026 walk that began at midnight finished at 6:45 p.m. at Billsburg Brewery.
“It is great to see this walk build from one guy’s crazy idea into a small community event, and humbling to see the financial benefit growth for Williamsburg House of Mercy,” Mahr said.
As the walk has become an annual event, Mahr is working on his plans for 2027.