Inspirational Middletown, NJ Brothers Walking Cross-Country for COVID Relief

Sometimes it's a challenge to walk up the stairs. Middletown's own Aiden and Louis Ardine are on a cross-country trek from one coast to the other with the mission of raising money for those affected by COVID-19.

The Ardine Brothers started their adventure Saturday on the Asbury Park boardwalk.

They won't stop until they've reached Redwood National Forrest outside of San Francisco. The length of this trip is more than 3,000 miles and 1,000 hours.

While the COVID-19 pandemic has hurt everyone, it has hit the restaurant and service industries especially hard. Aiden and Louis worked as bartenders during the height of the pandemic and felt firsthand the stresses that came along with it. While they were lucky enough to make ends meet after being laid off, many in their field were not.

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Aiden, a writer, and Louis an artist decided that they wanted to give back to an industry that was near and dear to them in a unique way. That's when 'Walking America' started. One mission: walking across the United States to fundraise for Restaurant Workers’ Community Foundation. On the way, they hope to shine a light on an issue important to them by sharing stories of individuals they meet along the road to raise awareness and funds for restaurant workers across the country.

Luckily, the brothers are both fans of hiking and camping. They are planning on walking 20 miles per day, which means that this cross-country exploration will take them roughly five months. While they have friends and family along the way, they will largely be relying on the support and generosity of others to get them across 11 states to their final destination.

Aiden and Louis's last update on Instagram as of this writing was at the end of day 2. They were being hosted by complete strangers in Allentown, PA.

*video contains profanity*

Let's support these brothers on their quest and at the same time help raise money for our restaurant and service industry workers. To make a donation, click here.

Follow Aiden and Louis's journey on Instagram.