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Granny D walks with a Positive Attitude |
by Ruth Robertson
SAN FRANCISCO, CA - Flying to California from the East Coast was a piece of cake for 93 year old Doris Haddock, known to most people as Granny D. After all she had walked that same distance a few years earlier at age 89!
Granny D was in San Francisco recently to address a group of senior citizens who look to her for inspiration. Doris recounted for them the story of her cross country march for Campaign Finance Reform.
An unstoppable advocate for participatory democracy, Granny D walked over 3,000 miles through desert and storms to draw attention to the need to reduce the role of special interest money in politics. She walked ten miles a day for fourteen months, stopping at times to give speeches along the way. By the time she arrived in D.C., she had gained such popularity for her brave trek that over 2,000 people rallied to meet her and several dozen members of Congress turned out to walk the final miles with her!
It would be two more years before bills were finally passed for campaign finance reform. During that time, Granny D continued to walk, talk, and demonstrate, twice landing in jail for civil disobedience during political actions.
When laws were passed that would finally remove unregulated “soft” money from campaigns, Granny D didn’t retire from activism, but instead increased her reach to other causes. In 2004 she walked through swing states to register voters, often going into housing projects activists much younger and stronger shied away from. "Doris Haddock is a true patriot, and our nation has been blessed by her remarkable life. Her story will entertain, inform and inspire people of all ages for generations to come," says former President Jimmy Carter.
In a recent interview with Positive News US, Granny D reported that her health problems were greatly improved after she began her walking crusades in the late 1980’s. Her doctor attributes her improved lung function to her long hikes and her positive attitude!
Contact: Doris Haddock
P.O. Box 492
Dublin, New Hampshire 03444
Website: www.GrannyD.com
SAN FRANCISCO, CA - Flying to California from the East Coast was a piece of cake for 93 year old Doris Haddock, known to most people as Granny D. After all she had walked that same distance a few years earlier at age 89!
Granny D was in San Francisco recently to address a group of senior citizens who look to her for inspiration. Doris recounted for them the story of her cross country march for Campaign Finance Reform.
An unstoppable advocate for participatory democracy, Granny D walked over 3,000 miles through desert and storms to draw attention to the need to reduce the role of special interest money in politics. She walked ten miles a day for fourteen months, stopping at times to give speeches along the way. By the time she arrived in D.C., she had gained such popularity for her brave trek that over 2,000 people rallied to meet her and several dozen members of Congress turned out to walk the final miles with her!
It would be two more years before bills were finally passed for campaign finance reform. During that time, Granny D continued to walk, talk, and demonstrate, twice landing in jail for civil disobedience during political actions.
When laws were passed that would finally remove unregulated “soft” money from campaigns, Granny D didn’t retire from activism, but instead increased her reach to other causes. In 2004 she walked through swing states to register voters, often going into housing projects activists much younger and stronger shied away from. "Doris Haddock is a true patriot, and our nation has been blessed by her remarkable life. Her story will entertain, inform and inspire people of all ages for generations to come," says former President Jimmy Carter.
In a recent interview with Positive News US, Granny D reported that her health problems were greatly improved after she began her walking crusades in the late 1980’s. Her doctor attributes her improved lung function to her long hikes and her positive attitude!
Contact: Doris Haddock
P.O. Box 492
Dublin, New Hampshire 03444
Website: www.GrannyD.com
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