Jimmy Wayne Crosses Into Lonestar State

Posted by Amy Brownfield on 03/30/2010
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Jimmy-Wayne

It all started in Nashville on Jan. 1 when Jimmy Wayne embarked on his Meet Me Halfway solo-walk across America. The walk, which will end in Phoenix, is a mission to raise money and awareness for homeless kids and teens. On Saturday evening, March 27, Wayne battled pouring rain and some of the strongest winds yet as he crossed the Texas state line.

"When I reached Arkansas, there was a feeling that came over me that I was actually doing this walk," Wayne told AOL's The Boot. "Then, that night when I crossed over into Oklahoma ... that was just a shocker. Here I am now sitting on the Texas state line. That's hard for me to believe. I can't even believe it. I wouldn't have driven to Texas. I would have flown, but having walked it is just mind blowing. This is crazy!"
 
Wayne has already trekked 800 miles on the journey and still has roughly 100 miles left to go until he reaches his halfway point in Amarillo, Texas. When he arrives, as a celebration Wayne will appear at Hastings Entertainment store Saturday,April 3, where fans can come show support to the singer.
 
Throughout the experience Wayne has made new friends as he has met residents of every town he walks through. The Warren family from Caddo Gap, Ark., took Wayne in for several nights and even bought him a pair of overalls since his suitcase was stolen. Marcie Horn, another resident of Caddo Gap, provided motivational words for Wayne, insisting he is not alone.

"Meeting Marcie was just so worth the whole walk," Wayne said. "This lady's been working in the lunch room for I think 20 years, and she has taken in a total of 10 kids into her trailer during that time. It goes to show you that you don't have to be rich or live in a mansion. She lived in a trailer, and she took in these kids to help them get their lives straightened out. That's what we need -- people who take a leap of faith and goes out there and helps these kids. She didn't have anything to offer these kids but food, a place to sleep and a roof over their head. That's all they need."

Wayne encourages everyone, young and old, who are following his project to find some way to help raise awareness of the campaign - not for him, but for the sake of the youth.

 
“Even if someone just donated one day a week to promote Meet Me Halfway -- and I'm not talking about for me because none of this is for me. I'm just in a place in my life where I have tried to do something to give back.
"I feel like this walk is a calling for me," Wayne said. "I feel like I was supposed to do this. I don't regret it. I do know that I am one of many people trying to make a difference in these teens' lives. I believe that if we wait around on someone else to do it, it's not going to get done. This walk may not make a difference in many people's lives, but hopefully it will be one more block, if you will. It's a building process. One more step. It raises a little bit of awareness which hopefully will raise more awareness somewhere else. I'm just doing what I can do. If it changes a person's life -- whether they're a kid or an adult -- this walk is well worth it."

Wayne is hoping to reach his final destination of Phoenix at the end of May or early June. If interested in Wayne’s whereabouts you can follow him on Twitter, or visit the Meet Me Halfway project Web site: http://meetmehalfway.jimmywayne.com/