Auburn’s ‘Pacin’ Parson’ going the extra mile for worthy cause

Don Stevenson, Auburn's ultra-marathon walker, is on another 1,000-mile walk for the Pulmonary Hypertension Association (PHA) this fall.

Don Stevenson, Auburn’s ultra-marathon walker, is on another 1,000-mile walk for the Pulmonary Hypertension Association (PHA) this fall.

The 80-year-old “Pacin’ Parson” intends to walk an average of 30 miles a day around Game Farm Park during weekdays to raise awareness and funds for the prevention and cure of pulmonary arterial hypertension, an incurable, debilitating disease.

Stevenson will walk to various cities throughout the Puget Sound area on Fridays and Saturdays.

The walk, Stevenson said, began Oct. 20 and ends Dec. 3.

November is PHA National Awareness Month.

The PHA honored Stevenson at its 25th International Scientific Conference in Dallas in June. He received a trophy for his compassion, inspirational work and contributions to association.

Stevenson completed a 1,000-mile walk for PHA earlier this year, covering the entire distance using a walker and an oxygen tank to demonstrate the plight of many pulmonary hypertension patients.

Stevenson, a U.S. Marine Corps veteran and retired pastor, teacher, truck driver and firefighter, has walked more than 50,000 miles to raise awareness and funds for many charities since 1998.

He covered 7,600 miles for Alzheimer’s; 20,000 miles for Multiple Sclerosis; 13,000 miles for Huntington’s disease; 2,400 miles for the American Cancer Society; climbed Mount Rainier for the American Lung Association; walked 730 miles for Spina Bifida; 2,086 miles for blind and special needs kids.

In 2014, after nearly four months, he finished a 3,000-mile, cross-country walk from Washington state to the Washington, D.C., area, raising nearly $10,000 in donations and pledges for PHA.

“The most peaceful people on Earth are those who give their lives to help others,” Stevenson said. “The most miserable people on the planet are those who think only of themselves.”

To learn more or to donate to the cause, visit thePacingParson.com or O2breathe.org/FightPH16 and click on Stevenson’s name.