Below:

• Walking Because Every Kid Deserves A Safe School
• Walking Into DC During Stop MTR Week
• The Roots of Organizing For Change: When Miners March

 Walking Because Every Kid Deserves A Safe School
Day One--With his long-legged stride, he traversed 16 miles of baking-hot asphalt, from the WV State Capitol in Charleston to a spot a few miles beyond the town of Pinch. (Check out photos from the Press Conference on Day One here.)

Day Two, same heat, 17 miles.  Along the way, he's received many honks of support, bottles of ice-cold water, meals and donations for the Pennies of Promise campaign.  The donations are for a fund to build a new school for Marsh Fork Elementary students-- a safe new school in their community, away from the coal preparation plant, coal silo and coal sludge impoundment.

Day Three. Only 37 more days and 433 miles to go until Ed arrives in DC to tell assorted officials about Marsh Fork Elementary and why they should help all of us pressure Governor Manchin to take action.

We're posting daily dispatches from Ed ad his support team here. There's also a blog on Ed here. Tomorrow (Saturday) at 6 a.m. or Sunday at 6 p.m., tune into WV Public Radio or TV's Inside Appalachia to hear a story about Ed's walk.

Day One: After 16 miles, in weather topping 100 degrees on the heat index, Ed's feet look fine. His socks were another story.                                               --Photo by V.S.

How you can help: Call Governor Manchin every day Ed is walking--his support vehicle folks are calling every day--and tell the Governor you want him to build a new school for the Marsh Fork kids in their community. Tell him every student in America deserves a safe place to go to school within their community. Tell him you think it's a shame a grandfather has to walk in order to prod the Governor to do the right thing. Call him toll-free: 1-888-438-2731 or 1-304-558-6000 or e-mail: Governor@WVGov.org. Help us tell West Virginia Governor Joe Manchin: ALL TALK, NO ACTION--NOT ACCEPTABLE! More ways to help: As Ed strides through or near your county, you can help by arranging speaking engagements for him. He's glad to talk with groups of any size--from your friends and family, to your local civic group or church, as well as local media.  A support vehicle is with Ed, so he doesn't have to be right in your neighborhood to come speak. Also, Ed and his support team of Austin and Jordan need places to stay overnight.  They stayed at my place. They camped on the living room floor--no trouble at all--and were loads of fun. Call Bo at 304-854-2631 if you can help with speaking engagements or hosting Ed and his support team.

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 Walking Into DC During Stop MTR Week
Representing the Pennies of Promise campaign, Ed expects to walk into DC on September 12, while a bunch of folks are gathered there to lobby for the Clean Water Protection Act. If enacted, the bill would once again make many valley fills illegal, which would help us abolish mountaintop removal coal mining.  Appalachian Voices invites you to join the trainings, lobbying and more in DC from September 9 to 13. Click here for information.

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 The Roots of Organizing For Change: When Miners March
This organizing, speaking out and demanding change from the oppressive, outlaw behavior of the coal industry has been going on for quite some time, and has shaped the history of the labor movement in the United States. When Miners March documents the Battle of Blair Mountain and West Virginia's Union roots.  Now the printed book is also an audio book, read as a "docu-drama," complete with a soundtrack featuring Hazel Dickens, Elaine Purkey, Mike Morningstar, T. Paige Dalporto, Andrew McKnight, Ian Smith, Keith and Joan Pitzer, Donnie Purnell and others. The audio book is available from MountainWhispers.com.

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