Date: April 20, 2009
Contact: Carol Connelly, Director, Media & Communication Services, ext. 5267, cconnelly@pnc.edu

A photo for publication is available at: http://www.pnc.edu/cd/news/newsphotos/annilute.jpg

PNC Student Walks State of Indiana to Raise Money

Westville – Purdue University North Central student Anni Lute is preparing to walk the length of Indiana to raise money for charity.

Lute, a graduate of Michigan City High School, hopes to raise money to support Riley Hospital for Children in Indianapolis and Ronald McDonald House of Indiana. She intends to walk 400 miles and anticipates she will complete the trek in six weeks. She's dubbed her adventure, “Anni Walks Indiana.”

She's never tried a project this ambitious or intense before, she reasoned that she could “take a month off to walk the state.” Lute said the idea came to her when she watched a news report on a man who walked coast to coast across the country. That's seemed beyond her capabilities, but she reasoned that she could manage a walk through the state.

Lute realizes that not everyone is in a position to donate to her trip, but she will accept donations of food for her to eat along the way, clothing to wear for her journey, and even a place to stay along her route. She plans to push a shopping cart with her belongings and is even selling sponsorship opportunities on the cart. She is also collecting the tabs from soft drink cans for Ronald McDonald House, which are redeemed for cash donations.

“I am counting on the kindness of Hoosiers to make this possible,” she said.

An Early Childhood Education major at PNC, Lute will set out on her journey from Washington Park in Michigan City on May 11. She will walk U.S. 421 to Indianapolis . She anticipates arriving in Indianapolis around May 24 and already has her ticket to the Indianapolis 500. After that, she'll take U.S. 40 to Terre Haute and U.S. 41 to Evansville .

Lute intends to walk 15 to 20 miles a day. She has been training for this by working out for three hours a day. She is optimistic she will be able to make the trip. “I may be sore and my feet may hurt, but I'm going to do this,” she vowed.

To learn more about “Anni Walks Indiana” or to make a donation, visit www.annikat.org or email Lute at anniwalks@gmail.com .

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