"Preach the gospel every day.
And sometimes, use words."
St. Francis of Assisi
Be a part of something Bigger…
In 2005, Barry Adkins lost his 18-year-old son, Kevin, to
alcohol poisoning, on the day Kevin moved out on his own.
To honor Kevin's memory and raise awareness for drug and alcohol prevention,
Barry put his son's ashes in a backpack and walked 1,400 miles from Gilbert,
Arizona to Kalispell, Montana, sharing Kevin's story along the way.
Over the past 20 years, Barry has learned that everyone has a story, and
every story matters.
Today, Barry is personally inviting you to be part of something bigger.
Join the Million Mile Challenge.
WalkRunHikeTreadmillno pace requirement, just one mile at a time
A father walked 1,400 miles with his son's ashes on his back.
"Kevin didn't suffer… and something very good will come from this."
The message Barry received, four days after Kevin's death
On the morning of July 10, 2005, less than 24 hours after 18-year-old Kevin
moved out on his own, Barry and Bev's lives changed forever. An unexpected knock
at the door brought the heartbreaking news that Kevin had died from alcohol poisoning.
The day meant to mark the beginning of his adulthood was his last day on earth.
In 2007, Barry put Kevin's ashes in his backpack and walked from
Gilbert, Arizona, to Kalispell, Montana, 1,400 miles, sharing his son's
story along the way. He's been telling it ever since. That walk became
the foundation for the Million Mile Challenge.
The Million Mile Challenge continues that mission. Now, we invite you
to walk in honor of those we've lost, and support those still battling
addiction. This is not about being the fastest. It is about showing up
and letting the world hear your story.
"Let's give grief somewhere to go, and awareness a way to spread."
Barry Adkins, Founder
07Why We Walk
Every mile becomes a message.
Addiction, alcohol poisoning, and loss do not just touch one person.
They echo through families for generations. This challenge exists to
turn that grief into movement, and movement into something that can
help someone else.
The Million Mile Challenge raises awareness for the people we've lost to
drug and alcohol addiction, the people still battling it, and the people
living with loss or holding up someone they love. Every mile is support.
Every share helps one more person hear the story and keeps the conversation
going. This is not about shame. It is about hope.
We move. We Honor. We move towards a million miles together.
Walking. Running. Hiking. Treadmill miles. If it moves you forward on foot, it counts. Especially the mile you barely had the strength to do.
1.
Choose who you walk for.
Choose someone you've lost, someone battling addiction, or someone whose recovery deserves to be honored. Every mile carries their name.
Start · 60 seconds
2.
Track your miles.
Walk, run, hike, or move forward on foot. Log your miles in the member dashboard, and we add them to the global counter and your team's total.
Track · any pace
3.
Invite others.
Bring friends, family, coworkers, classmates, or your whole community into the challenge. Nobody has to walk alone.
Team · stronger together
4.
Share the message.
Use your story to start conversations about addiction, alcohol poisoning, grief, recovery, and hope. It may help someone feel less alone.
Speak · break the silence
5.
Keep walking.
One mile becomes ten. Ten becomes one hundred. Together, those miles become a movement, and a living tribute for the ones we love.
Reach · 1,000,000 miles
Join The Challenge
Walk for someone. Walk with everyone.
A million miles starts with one name. Whether it's a mile a day or a thousand
over the year, we're walking in honor of those we've lost, in support of those
still struggling, and beside every family touched by addiction. No one walks alone.
If you would like to donate, here is a list of worthy non-profits, as the Million Mile Challenge is not a 501(c)(3). If you would like your non-profit listed here, please contact us.
The Million Mile Challenge is not a 501(c)(3) and does not collect donations. The organizations above are independent; any gift goes directly to them.
A letter from the founder
Kevin's Last Walk, and the Million Mile Challenge
Hey everyone, I'm Barry Adkins, founder of the Million Mile Challenge and Kevin's Last Walk.
So, what is the Million Mile Challenge? And why should you be a part of it?
Over the last 21 years of sharing Kevin's story, I've learned that everybody has a story about how drug or alcohol abuse has impacted them, or someone they love, and these stories matter.
Whether it is stories of loss or stories of victory, they need to be told.
In 2005, I lost my 18-year-old son, Kevin, to alcohol poisoning on the day he moved out on his own.
The day that was supposed to mark the beginning of his adulthood ended up being his last day on earth.
I was angry with God, and I told Him so. I couldn't understand how a good God would let my son die. I even tried to bargain with Him: "Take me. Let my son live."
A few days later, I had another life changing event.
I was laying in bed, around four in the morning, and felt like someone had come into the room. There was a light, a light I had never seen before and haven't seen since. And there was a message: "Kevin didn't suffer, and something very good will come from this."
I'm not here to tell you this message made everything okay, because it didn't. But it gave me a mission, to make something very good come from the death of my son. I have no idea why God would choose a guy like me for this mission, but He did.
In 2007, in an effort to honor my son and raise awareness around drug and alcohol prevention, I put Kevin's ashes in my backpack and walked 1,400 miles from Gilbert, Arizona to Kalispell, Montana, sharing his story along the way.
Since then, I've shared Kevin's story hundreds of times, and one of the questions I'm often asked is, "What's next?"
The truth is, maybe what's next has nothing to do with me, and everything to do with giving others a way to honor their loved ones and raise awareness.
That's what the Million Mile Challenge is all about.
It's simple: walk, run, hike, or even use a treadmill, wherever you are. Do it in memory of someone you've lost, in support of someone who's struggling, or even for yourself.
This isn't a fitness brand. It's a response to a moment that splits life into before and after. It's for anyone carrying a name in their heart, or just trying to carry themselves.
You don't have to be strong. You don't have to be ready. You don't have to explain anything. Just show up, and let your miles speak.
The Million Mile Challenge can happen anywhere, anytime, and for anyone, because addiction doesn't care where you live or what's in your bank account. Whether you're on a treadmill at midnight, or walking your neighborhood at sunrise, you're part of the mission.
Together, we're walking one million miles to raise awareness for drug and alcohol prevention, and to make sure these stories are heard.
You'll give us an estimate of how many miles you think you can walk in a week, share your story and picture, if you'd like, and then log your miles weekly. You can create a team, join a team, or go solo, but you'll never be walking alone.
Because this is about more than miles. It's about community. It's remembrance. It's giving grief somewhere to go.
Every step you take honors a life, helps someone else keep going, and spreads awareness.
So please, take the challenge and join us at millionmilechallenge.com.
