Mooresville woman on a 300-mile mission

Ann McLaughlin's passion for children and animals is leading her to do something she never imagined was possible.

She's planning to walk 300 miles for a cause.

Noah's Ark in Locust, Ga., is a nonprofit organization that provides housing for abandoned and abused children. It also houses a rehabilitation center for animals.

"The wildlife from the rehabilitation center and the children from the children's care home play a vital role for each other," according to the Noah's Ark Web site. "The children participate in 'pet therapy,' nurturing the baby wildlife as the animals are rehabilitated in hopes of eventually being returned to their natural habitat."

McLaughlin learned about the cause by accident.

"I'm not exactly sure how I found it, but I was struck by what a wonderful organization it was," said McLaughlin. "They have over 1,000 animals and right now, I believe they have 12 children staying there … it's so important what they do."

The single mother has six rescue dogs of her own, so animals and children are a cause near and dear to her heart.

"I don't have a lot of money, but I was still inspired to help them somehow," she said. "I was walking around the track at Stumpy Creek one day with Diego (one of her dogs) and the idea of the walk just came to me. I thought about it, and I knew it sounded crazy, but I had to."

McLaughlin's plan is to spend 10 days walking from Mooresville to Locust, Ga., to raise awareness of the cause and to hopefully gain sponsors and donations for the animals and kids. She e-mailed Noah's Ark and they were thrilled to have the exposure.

"The doctor's office I work for, Mooresville Internal Medicine, and Tony Stewart, the race car driver, have been instrumental in sponsoring me so far," she said. "I was shocked. Tony said he'd do it right away, which was so gracious. My friend has also donated an RV for the trip that will follow me and Dr. Steve Ferguson at my office has agreed to map out the route for me so I can walk on county roads, which should be safer."

She's invited friends and family to start out the walk with her and she hopes that with publicity, more towns will hear about it, gain interest and residents will join her on her journey to raise funds. She'll also be accompanied by her constant companion at the track, her beloved dog, Diego.

"I'm not a spontaneous person. I've never done anything like this, but I really felt the need to reach out," McLaughlin said. "I don't have a specific monetary goal in mind, but I think anyone who feels compelled to donate anything would be appreciated. I know in this economy it's harder, but every bit helps."

On April 19, McLaughlin will begin her quest of walking 30 miles a day. She started walking in July to just get healthier, and believes her training will help her.

"My doctor's office has been nice enough to let me take off the 10 days I'll need and that'll be my vacation for this year," she said. "I hope the weather will be nice. I plan to walk for a few hours, break for lunch and continue on. Like I said, I've never done anything like this, so it's all by ear! I'm going to use my tax return to pay for gas for the RV and food, and all I need now are good shoes and socks for the long trek."

Her mother will join her for the last leg of the walk, a huge feat considering she was just diagnosed with cancer.

"I cancelled the walk after I heard about my mom, but she said it was important and she wanted to do the last steps with me, so I decided to continue with it," McLaughlin said. "I'm proud of her; she's a great lady."

This week, the Noah's Ark Web site is posting a link to enable supporters to sponsor the walk and donate to the facility.

"I'm hoping to raise enough so they can build a new building for the children, but I just hope that I make enough to make a difference," she said.

To learn more about McLaughlin's journey or Noah's Ark, check http://www.noahs-ark.org/index.html.