Like many people right now, Corey Cappelloni misses his grandmother, but because of the coronavirus pandemic, he can鈥檛 really go visit her to say hello.
Cappelloni lives in Northwest D.C. and his grandmother lives in聽Scranton, Pennsylvania, so it鈥檚 hard to make a routine trip.
But, during the months that senior care facilities have more or less been locked down to visitors, he has tried to keep her spirits up, calling her lots, and sending her treats and scrapbooks.
And now, he鈥檚 about to begin 鈥� by literally running from D.C. to Scranton.
鈥淚t was basically three motivating factors,鈥� Cappelloni said. 鈥淥ne, the big one, started off with my grandmother. Then, also linked to that, was all the other residents. Two was the heroic staff who support my grandmother and other residents in these types of facilities.鈥�
His third reason for running is to honor those who didn鈥檛 survive COVID-19, including his great uncle, who died last month.
Truth be told, Cappelloni wanted to run all 220 miles over the next week.
鈥淲hen we started planning the route on Google Maps, there really isn鈥檛 a safe way to run,鈥� Cappelloni said. 鈥淪ooner or later 鈥� we were going to encounter roads with no shoulders, no sidewalks and with speed limits of 50 mph.鈥�
Cappelloni is still going to run the 220 miles over the next week, but he鈥檚 going to do it in parks and along trails that run from D.C. to Scranton.
So, for instance, on Friday, he鈥檒l begin running through Rock Creek Park into D.C. and Maryland, aiming to finish 31 miles. On Saturday, he’ll run along a trail that spans from Maryland into Pennsylvania. Gradually, he鈥檒l move up along the Interstate 81 corridor, making it to Bloomsburg for day six before running from Wilkes-Barre to Scranton on his last day.
He鈥檚 heading into this having raised several thousand dollars for the facility his grandmother lives in.
But even if donating to that facility, or another one, he鈥檚 hoping it鈥檒l at least spur others to act.
鈥淚f you have someone who is in one of these nursing homes or assisted-living home, or simply an elderly person living on their own,鈥� said Cappelloni, 鈥渞each out to them. Talk to them just to get an awareness of how lonely some of these people are.鈥�
But Cappelloni also said you don鈥檛 just have to have a relative in one of those facilities either.
鈥淩each out to an assisted-living home or nursing home in your community to see what you could do,鈥� he said. 鈥淐ould you write a letter one day to a resident?鈥�
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