The Present and Future:
Starting in 2018, March to the Capitol will be led by 2 local firefighters, Brandon Glenn and Michael Dunkin. They both walked the entire distance the 1st 2 years in full dress and love the Des Moines metro area. If you’d like to help volunteer on the administrative side, please send a message to [email protected]. Mike and Brandon are pictured below:
The beginning:
Bob Lyons was the founder of March to the Capitol. Due to a 2018 job change which involved relocation, Bob has passed the baton to Brandon and Mike. Bob worked in the NYC metro area in 2001 and had become pretty familiar with the Manhattan area. One location his team worked at was about 10 blocks north of the World Trade Center. He was with a friend in August 2001 and had visited the observation deck on top of the south tower at both day and night.
He was scheduled to work the morning of 9/11 at that same location, 10 blocks from WTC. The buildings were hit before his carpool arrived. He could see the towers on fire from our office in West Orange, NJ. A month later, They were allowed back into the City. He will never forget the smell and all the sights. He was numb. He could no longer cry after a few days.
He returned to my home city of St. Louis due to a layoff. For a few years, he attended small ceremonies to honor the fallen, but that was all he could find. He came across the March to the Arch and fell in love with the concept of a 21 mile memorial walk. The first year he joined was in 2009 and was instantly hooked. He walked with them for 7 years and met some golden people. The creator, Bo Drochleman is his friend, inspiration, and a mentor.
He and his family moved to Des Moines for a new job opportunity. He did not feel like driving back to St. Louis every year to participate, so he decided to start March to the Capitol.
At Ellis Island with the World Trade Center in the background
One of the 7 years completing March to the Arch
Below are a few photos from past years of March to the Arch, to cast the vision for March to the Capitol:
Below is from the 2016 March to the Arch!
It was always awesome to know they were near the Arch!
