Michigan Veteran Walks 116 Miles to Support Fellow Veterans

It took a Michigan veteran 10 days to walk 116 miles along M-22 in Northern Michigan, but it was all for a worthy cause.

If you’re doing the math, that’s more than 11 miles a day — quite a big feet... er, feat.

A Legacy of Service

Bill Sweet, a Northern Michigan resident and proud U.S. military veteran, comes from a deeply rooted tradition of service. His father, brothers, and all four of his sons have also worn the uniform.

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What began as what Sweet described as “a little bit of a selfish goal” turned into something much bigger. His decision to walk more than 100 miles helped raise both awareness and substantial funds for Reigning Liberty Ranch, a Northern Michigan nonprofit that supports veterans.

The Inspiration Behind the Walk

Sweet told Up North Live that he was inspired by fellow veteran Travis Snyder, who traditionally walks around Lake Michigan each year to raise awareness for veteran support. When Snyder was unable to make the journey this year, Sweet stepped in and chose to take on the M-22 portion himself.

Supporting Reining Liberty Ranch

He said the 116-mile trek gave him time to reflect on the people he’s served with — and those he hopes to help.

“When you’re out in the middle of a field walking to Northport and there’s no cars coming for five minutes, you get a lot of time to reflect and think about your buddies, think about your family, think about why I’m doing this trek and think about the people that hopefully it’s going to help,” he told the station.

Sweet received more than $2,000 in donations during the walk, while others pledged additional support through online contributions.