The Challenge

In September, Sam Williamson came to us with a crazy idea. He wanted to attempt to walk 100 miles to raise $100K for veterans and first responders. Sam doesn’t come from a military family. He’s not an ultra, elite athlete. But as a civilian board member of the Bird’s Eye View Project, he was deeply moved by those who had risked everything and sacrificed so much.

The Idea

Sam Williamson doesn’t come from a military family. He’s not an ultra, elite athlete. But as a civilian board member of the Bird’s Eye View Project, Sam laid it all on the line to raise $100,000 for veterans and first responders. The risks were many. And then there’s the sheer mental and physical challenge and the potential for the mind or body to fail.

The Work

A full social media campaign was developed and distributed everyday for 30 days leading up to the event. Social posts included Facebook Live videos, video content, animated GIFs and traditional social posts. We were also able to secure press coverage of the event.

The Results

The Walk the Walk 100 received strong coverage in the DFW area including WFAA, Advocate magazine, and the Whiterock Lake Weekly. And while we didn’t reach the ultimate goal of $100,000, we were able to raise nearly $30,000 in less than 4 weeks using unpaid media channels only.

Since the event, Sam Williamson has been invited to speak at Southern Methodist University and plans to make the Walk the Walk 100 an annual event.