Bob Facca, also known as “Grandpa Bob,” passed through Rockwood July 5 as he continued on a 4,000km walk to raise money for Duchenne muscular dystrophy.
Facca is a London business owner and started his journey May 12 in Quebec City and headed west, covering approximately 20 kilometres per day. As of July 1, he had put 1,000 km behind him.
The inspiration for Facca’s walk is his grandson, six-year-old Louie, who has the genetic disorder. While travelling through Quebec, Facca was joined by Tom Cappelli, whose 16-year-old son Aiden also has Duchenne muscular dystrophy.
The walk is expected to take seven months and end in Winnipeg Manitoba. In 2012, Facca walked 500km through Ontario and raised $250,000 for research. He hopes to surpass that goal this time.
“As close as the researchers are, they still need more money. The more funding they have, the more research they can do,” he says.
As he passed through the small community, Facca was escorted by the Rockwood Firefighter’s Association, as he collected donations from motorists and community members.
Jeff Simm, one of the fire fighters on duty said, “We felt incredibly proud to support his walk for Duchenne muscular dystrophy and would like to thank the members of our community for their generous donations.”
Duchenne muscular dystrophy is a genetic disorder that occurs exclusively in boys.
To find out more visit: https://jessesjourney.com/events/grandpa-bobs-2014-walk-for-louie.aspx.
