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| 7/22/2009 10:14:00 AM | Email this article • Print this article |
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| Erik Bendl
Walking for diabetes |
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| GOING GLOBAL: Nice the dog and Erik Bendl walk across the Midwest raising funds and awareness for diabetes. The pair has traveled from Louisville, Ky., to Kansas City in about two months. To follow the journey, see Bendl’s blog at: www.worldguy.org. SKYE COBB/Star-Journal photos |
| | Learn More | To donate to Erik Bendl's walk visit his facebook cause site at: http://apps.facebook.com/causes/282641 or read his blog at www.worldguy.org for the ongoing story.
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Man moves Earth to raise diabetes awareness
Skye Cobb
Staff Writer
Knob Noster - Erik Bendl, 47, Louisville, Ky., pushes the world down Highway 50.
His world is an 8-foot in diameter, latex-and-rubber ball painted like Earth.
Pushing the planet alongside his dog, Nice, Bendl is on the last leg of his diabetes awareness walk from Louisville, Ky., to Kansas City.
Diabetes claimed the life of his mother, Kentucky State Rep. Gerta Bendl, 54, in 1987.
"She was just too busy to take care of herself because she was doing good for everybody else," Bendl said.
Her brother, 82, has lived with diabetes for nearly 40 years.
"That's the message I'm trying to get across," Bendl said. "Go out there and walk, keep walking, diet and stay healthy. You can prevent diabetes or control it so you can be there for your grandkids."
Two years ago, Bendl walked with the world from Louisville to Pittsburgh, Penn.
accepting donations along the way.
Bendl started his journey to Kansas City on May 2. After getting injured while breaking up a dogfight May 12, he took time off to recuperate and restarted June 2.
On Tuesday, he reached Knob Noster with plans to keep moving despite rain.
With 53 miles to go, Bendl said he stopped to talk with a "good person," Dilia Ayala, of El Paso, Texas. Stationed at Whiteman Air Force Base and recently back from Iraq, Ayala stopped to give Bendl water and granola bars.
Bendl said Ayala is one of many people in his "Good Person System," or "GPS." They help move his support van down the road for him to walk to. They bring him food and water. One lady brought him a cake once, which he said he had to leave in the van: Trying to carry a cake, roll the world and walk his dog along the highway all at the same time is tough.
After Ayala wished Bendl luck and left, two other men from Whiteman Air Force Base stopped to have pictures taken with Bendl and the world.
"It draws attention," Bendl said.
At each major town, he stops to send donations to his brother, who handles accounting.
"I've met a lot of great people along the way," Bendl said. "It can be heartbreaking, some of the stories. We've got to keep the cause going."
Bendl's next goal is to drive the van to Colorado where he wants to walk the world up Pikes Peak.
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