BRONZEVILLE — When Bronzeville native Demetrius Nash announced in July that he'd walk 672 miles from Chicago to Washington, D.C., to protest violence and help young people, he didn't know how much attention the walk would attract.
But after initially setting a goal of $10,000 through GoFundMe, the campaign was so successful — raising more than $28,000 — that he raised the goal to $50,000. His most high-profile donor? Former Bull and Englewood native Derrick Rose, who gave $7,000.
"This has transformed my life," he said in a video thanking supporters after completing the walk Monday.
He left Aug. 4 with a group of friends. He said he wanted to bring awareness of Chicago’s gun violence and the need for more resources and programs for children in the inner city.
Nash, who goes by D.Nash, is the founder of Replace Guns With Hammers, an initiative that offers training in the trades and a chance for young people to build relationships with mentors who change their lives.
Nash couldn't be reached Tuesday.
"The walk is over with. Now the work begins," he says in a video thanking supporters. "I couldn't have done this without God, family, friends and the village. This was about empowering, uplifting, educating and awakening our community. If I can walk to the White House, what can we personally do to get off our couches and do something?"
Traveling an average of 20 miles a day, Nash would stop in different cities, meeting people wherever he went. He held press conferences to spread the word about what he was doing, and he prayed with people along the way.
Nash said during a stop in Cleveland that he was amazed at how much support he's received along the way.
"It's incredible," he told ABC News-5 in Cleveland. "I'm in awe of what America and Americans are doing to help me along my way.
On Sept. 8, in a video on Facebook, Nash stood next to Pennsylvania state Rep. Ed Gainey, who praised him.
"To walk from Chicago to D.C. in the midst of all the fires happening in Chicago right now, to bring awareness about gun violence, you should be celebrated," Gainey said. "The more structured environments we put our kids in, the less they'll pick up guns. Let's create some legislation, not to tell people they can't have a 2nd Amendment right, but to let people know we have a right to life."
Before embarking on the journey, Nash said he hoped to meet with the Congressional Black Caucus and Illinois congressmen when he arrived.
He held a press conference Monday on Capitol Hill with U.S. Rep. John Lewis (D-Georgia). Afterward, they marched to the White House.
Nash said the idea to walk came from God. He was incarcerated at 26 years old for drug trafficking, he said, and spent a lot of time thinking about how he contributed to the city’s problems. He said he was ready to be a part of the solution.
“I was inspired by a book written by Nelson Mandela, 'A Long Walk to Freedom,' in which he writes about his 27 years of imprisonment,” he said.
“When I used to be incarcerated, I would fast and pray on Saturdays,” he said. “I got off federal probation May 24 of this year, so that was a Wednesday.
“I prayed that Saturday and asked God what was next for me. After 12 years of bondage I'm finally free,” Nash said. “I woke up Sunday, tapped my girlfriend and said, ‘Babe, I'm going to walk to Washington, D.C.'”
