Miles for MnFIRE is a walk across Minnesota that raises awareness and much-needed funds for firefighter health. The more than 150-mile journey kicked off on Sept. 13 in Duluth and is making its way through numerous Minnesota communities, including Carlton, Hinckley, Pine City, Rush City, Harris, Wyoming, North Branch, Hugo, White Bear Lake and Vadnais Heights. The walk ends Sept. 21 at the Minnesota Fallen Firefighter Memorial on the grounds of the State Capitol in St. Paul.

Day 8

Starting location: Wyoming, MN
Finish for the day: White Bear Lake, MN
Miles completed: 19
The weather report: 73 and cloudy

It was a poignant day on the Miles for MnFIRE trail.

Today, Minnesota firefighters Doug Foote and Kyle Bode completed another 19 miles on their walk from Duluth to St. Paul. They’ve now completed 147 miles of the more than 150-mile journey that aims to raise awareness and funds for firefighter health.

At the same time, firefighters from across the country who made the ultimate sacrifice were being honored at the Fallen Fire Fighter Memorial in Colorado Springs. Over 311 names were added to the memorial wall, including St. Paul Fire Department Captain Larry Goodman who died of cancer last year. Bode, a fellow member of the St. Paul Fire Department, is walking Miles for MnFIRE in Goodman’s honor.

Cancer is the leading cause of line of duty death among firefighters. Cardiac and emotional trauma are two other major health problems commonly experienced by those in the fire service. The Minnesota Firefighter Initiative (MnFIRE) is dedicated to providing Minnesota’s firefighters with the tools they need to prioritize and protect their health. Through the Hometown Heroes Assistance Program, MnFIRE combines three vital resources for all active volunteer, paid-on-call, part-time and full-time Minnesota firefighters at no cost:

• MnFIRE Assistance Program with emotional trauma resources
• Up-to-$20,000 Critical Illness insurance policy
• Ongoing health and wellness training

On Sept. 13, Foote and Bode began this walk to inform their fellow fire services members about these resources. And tomorrow, Sept. 21, they will complete their journey at the Minnesota Fallen Firefighter Memorial on the grounds of the State Capitol. Please come celebrate Foote and Bode’s accomplishment as we work to better the health of Minnesota’s fire service. We are expecting them to arrive around 1 p.m.

You can also support Miles for MnFIRE by making a financial donation. Money raised will help provide resources to Minnesota’s 20,000 firefighters. Our goal is $100,000 – and we can reach that with your help! To contribute, click here.

We hope to see you at the Capitol on Sunday, September 21, at 1 p.m.

Some photos by Ric Rosow