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Man Runs Cross-Country 'Forrest Gump' Route To Fight Poverty

Man Runs Cross-Country 'Forrest Gump' Route To Fight Poverty
By 

Associate Editor of Impact, The Huffington Post

Run, Barclay Oudersluys, run!

Oudersluys is a recent University of Michigan graduate incorporating his favorite big screen flick into his summer plans for the sake of fighting poverty.

Mimicking Tom Hanks' character's cross-country feat in "Forrest Gump," Oudersluys is jogging 3,200 miles from California to Maine in hopes that his journey will raise awareness and funds for The Hall Steps Foundation, The Ann Arbor News reported.

"The [foundation] was founded ... to fight poverty around the world by improving health," Oudersluys wrote on his online fundraiser's page. "And what better way is there to promote healthy living than by running?"

The foundation has built a well in Mozambique and renovated a maternity clinic in Senegal, for instance, in order to improve the lives of some of the world's poorest.

As of Tuesday afternoon, Oudersluys' Crowdrise page has raised $1,100 of his $10,000 goal.

Oudersluys is documenting his trek -- which started on May 9 and will take him across 15 states -- on Twitter.

Story continues below.

Completing the cross-country trip won't be easy.

Oudersluys is hoping to conquer it in 100 days. In order to do that, he explained to The Ann Arbor News, he'll have to run about 32 miles and eat 6,000 calories every day, consuming foods like rice, granola, tuna fish and dried fruits to keep his diet in-check for the challenge.

Oudersluys wrote on Crowdrise that he plans on talking to people he comes across during the trip as well, encouraging others to learn more about and donate to The Hall Steps Foundation.

Support Oudersluys' fundraiser by using the widget below or visit The Hall Steps Foundation website here.

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Before You Go

Tom Hanks - Forrest Gump
Paramount/Getty
He's Tom Hanks, he hasn't gone anywhere! Keeping busy voicing our favorite animated toy, getting stranded on an island, visiting space, chasing a con artist, going to (many) wars and getting his ship hijaked, Hanks hasn't stopped since he won his second Best Actor Oscar for "Gump." Oh, and he also had time to dance to "This Is How We Do It" dressed as a Rabbi for Justin Bieber. Life is a crazy box of chocolates for this guy.
Robin Wright - Jenny
Paramount/Getty
After playing Jenny, Robin Wright sort of disappeared from the mainstream spotlight as she went on to play various roles in a handful of dramas (remember "Message In a Bottle" and "White Oleander"?). She appeared in a few other memorable films, like "Unbreakable" and "Moneyball," but her real return was with Netflix's "House of Cards." Her role as Claire Underwood earned her an Emmy nomination last year and a Golden Globe win this year.
Gary Sinise - Lieutenant Dan
Paramount/Getty
Gary Sinise has played a lot of parts since "Forrest Gump," but we're always going to remember him best as Lieutenant Dan. After the film, he acted alongside Hanks again in "Apollo 13" and "The Green Mile." He also played Detective Mac Taylor on "CSI: NY" for nine years up until 2013 and most recently voiced the Smithsonian Narrator in "Captain American: Winter Solider."
Sally Field - Mrs. Gump
Paramount/AP
After "Forrest Gump," Sally Field moved away from movies (with the exception of a few) to play more roles on the small screen. She spent six years guest-starring on "ER," followed by a role on "Brothers & Sisters," before returning to film. Her portrayal of Mary Todd Lincoln earned her an Oscar nomination in 2012, and her next project is Michael Showalter's "Hello, My Name Is Doris," where she plays a woman involved in the "local hipster scene." We can't wait!
Mykelti Williamson - Bubba
Paramount/Getty
Mykelti Williamson is best known as Bubba from "Gump" -- and his character also has a restaurant chain named after him! After the film, he worked on a handful of movies and TV series, including "Heat," "Con Air," NBC's "Boomtown," "CSI: NY" (alongside Sinise in some episodes), and "24." Most recently he played Ellstin Limehouse on "Justified" and is portraying B.B. King in the upcoming film "The Thrill Is On."
Michael Conner Humphreys - Young Forrest
Paramount/AP
Michael Conner Humphreys made his acting debut as the young Forrest, but decided the profession wasn't for him. He grew up as a normal kid and joined the army in 2005, serving a stint in Iraq. After he got out of the military in 2008, Humphreys gave acting one more shot with indie war movie "Pathfinders: In the Company of Strangers," in which he played a solider. It's unknown what he's been up to since.
Hanna Hall - Young Jenny
Paramount/IMDb
Hanna Hall also made her acting debut in "Forrest Gump" as the adorable young Jenny. Since she's had parts in "The Virgin Suicides," Rob Zombie's 2007 "Halloween" and an episode of "Criminals Minds."
Haley Joel Osment - Forrest Jr.
Paramount/Getty
Before he saw dead people, the adorable, young Haley Joel Osment made his big-screen debut as Forrest and Jenny's son, Forrest Jr. After his Oscar-nominated role in "The Sixth Sense," Osment went on to play a robotic boy, voice characters in the "Kingdom Hearts" video games and graduate from New York University. Most recently he has starred in the Amazon series "Alpha House" and the "Spoils of Babylon" miniseries. He's also in the upcoming "Entourage" movie.
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