Following the death of his brother Dale a couple years ago, Kirkland resident Don Muggli is preparing to take a trek across the state to raise awareness about colon cancer and raise funds for the Virginia Mason Cancer Institute in Seattle.

Muggli, 68, has been preparing for months to go on the journey.

“Forty years ago, I was a distance runner; I ran marathons,” he said. “You have to start months in advance.”

He started walking more last summer, and starting this year, he increased his walking regimen to six days a week.

“The human body is amazing — it can do wondrous things if you set the goal and work on it,” he said, adding he hopes to be up to walking 90 miles per week before he embarks on his journey. (At the time of the interview, he was up to 63.)

For his “Walk Across Washington,” he plans to follow a 441-mile route from Lewiston, Idaho, to Seaview, Wash. He hopes to spend 31 contiguous days walking, at a rate of 15 miles per day. He is starting the walk on April 13 and hopes to complete it on May 13.

“I’ll be stepping onto the beach in Seaview, Wash.,” he said.

During and after his daily walks, he plans to speak with people in each of the towns he walks through in an effort to raise awareness and increase contributions. He has already had some practice with this as well, as he made small talk with a woman he was walking alongside in Kirkland. It turns out her family has also been affected by colon cancer, and she wanted to contribute to Muggli’s cause.

“This message resonates with people,” he said. “The cause is worthy whether I complete the walk or not.”

For more information about Muggli’s walk, visit crowdrise.com/virginia-mason-health-system/fundraiser/donmuggli. He is attempting to raise $10,000 and has raised $5,365 so far as of press time.

He doesn’t currently have a Facebook account, but Muggli said he will be setting one up for people to track his journey across the state next month.