Grant Beacock is 66-year-old man who is walking from Alaska to Chilliwack, raising awareness for seniors while encouraging others to foster connections between seniors and their communities.

Grant Beacock, 66, stops in at the 2024 Rotary Ribfest in Fort St. John while passing through the North Peace on July 13. - Photo by Todd Buck

Grant’s 2000-mile encouragement walk started back in April, in Beaver Creek at the Alaska/Yukon border, where he embarked on this amazing journey back to Chilliwack, B.C.

“I’m just trying to raise awareness, we have a lot of seniors that can do a lot more for our communities, but their stuck inside a three-foot circle. I’ve just been very fortunate and very blessed,” says Beacock. “Us seniors can provide a lot more to our communities.”

Many residents from the local communities have spotted him with his wagon traveling through the Peace, welcoming Beacock and providing food, water, and even renting him a room at the local motel.

Beacock has faced many obstacles such as wildlife and bad weather on his journey so far, which is over halfway done now as he plans to make it back to Chilliwack before October.

The shirt design for the encouragement walk, as well as the plaques which he has placed along his path were done by his daughter, who has helped him immensely with this ambitious mission to raise awareness. These plaques can be found in Dawson Creek, Atlin, Haines Junction, and on the welcome to Alaska sign.

“My father has been enjoying the company he has been meeting, and he has enjoyed stopping into the towns and learning about the history of the different places that he has been going to,” said Beacocks daughter. “I think this has been something that has been in his body and in his blood for a long time, so it just seems really good that he gets the chance to actually do this.”

“I think that he is having a positive effect on the people that he is meeting, because they’re meeting somebody who is doing something outside the box. It could be for seniors, which is what he would really like to show and the promoting of not being stuck inside, you can do almost everything you want to do if you try.”

While keeping cool and staying safe in the North Peace during the heatwave, Beacock spent his time in our community building relations with the locals while raising awareness for elder isolation. Many locals have posted their experiences with Beacock on social media, where he was unaware of the amount of attention he had garnished.

Beacock has been documenting his travels on social media via Facebook and TikTok, where he has found a great deal of support and amassed quite a following.