Ex-Giants DE Martin finishes 3,000-mile walk for 9/11 charity
Associated Press
Updated: June 21, 2008, 3:37 PM ET
SAN DIEGO -- It took 10 months, 24 pairs of shoes and 40 pounds of flesh, but former New York Giant George Martin can finally rest after taking the final steps of a cross-country walk to raise money for people with health problems linked to the Sept. 11 attacks.
Martin began walking from New York to California on Sept. 16 to draw attention to the plight of rescue and recovery workers who developed respiratory problems after working in the dusty ruins of the World Trade Center.
He marched the final 4½ miles Saturday, arriving at a finish line in San Diego, where he was met by police officers, firefighters and other NFL alumni.
The trip began on the George Washington Bridge in Manhattan and covered 3,003 miles, winding south to Tennessee, west through Texas, and through high plains and desert to California.
Along the way, Martin trudged through rainstorms, winter ice and brutal heat, averaging 22 miles per day. He lost 40 pounds, burned through 80 pairs of socks, and raised more than $2 million, organizers said.
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