A group of friends from Kennesaw State is traveling to all 50 states to promote volunteerism and tourism.
Hunter Reynolds, a sophomore business major, Blake Harrell, a sophomore communications major and Brendon Ferguson, a junior integrative studies major, have currently traveled to 28 states, mostly by car during their campaign, The State Race.
The State Race campaign utilizes social media to share content of their travel engagements in order to promote tourism and volunteering.
The team of friends decided to embark on The State Race after spending an impromptu all-nighter trip to New York City in January.
Ferguson told the Sentinel that some trips are planned in advance while others are completely spontaneous.
“Every state is its own unique journey,” Ferguson said.
Reynolds expressed his desire to connect with the cultures of each individual state and said that doing so has been a learning experience.
“To live in your own bubble is dangerous,” Reynolds said.
For the team, traveling to each state is not about going to popular tourist attractions. The guys explained that they want to have a completely new experience in each state, as opposed to seeing every state’s capitol building and popular restaurants.
The trips center around personally connecting with the locals, often times through a form of community service.
Ferguson’s favorite trip was when the entourage traveled to Chicago, Illinois, and spent the day giving granola bars to the homeless.
“We went around the city meeting the homeless, learning their stories… and [had] one-on-one interactions with people who may not have it otherwise,” Ferguson said.
Ferguson said the team aims to “talk to the people who get stepped on,” as opposed to the luxurious style of tourism some might seek.
Reynolds’ favorite trip has been to New Mexico, the guys’ third trip, during which they camped in the desert. The friends attended a Spanish Catholic mass, a humbling experience for Reynolds.
“It was a different language but the same word of God,” Reynolds said.
After the mass, the entourage found themselves volunteering with the church members to flip burgers for the food-insecure in El Paso. Reynolds described the experience as better than any tourist attraction they could have seen.
Harrell said that his favorite trip was the first official State Race trip — a simple trek to the mountainous Ellijay, Ga. In early February, a loosely-formed group of KSU students met on Central Deck at 7 a.m to embark on the adventure. By the end of the trip, the group of vague acquaintances had become close friends.
For Harrell, it is essential to make every aspect of a trip enjoyable, especially the long car rides.
“We go for the journey, not the destination,” Harrell said.
The State Race also aims to show that travel can be affordable and accessible to busy college students on a budget. The group believes their project will live on long after the year’s end, as long as it continues to inspire people to take a chance on an adventure.
The State Race team plans to hit the remaining 22 states before the end of 2018 and have been consistently tracking their progress on their Youtube, Twitter and Instagram. The group also includes their followers by opening up their adventures to anyone interested.
For more information on the State Race visit their website at thestaterace.com and follow them on their social media accounts, all @TheStateRace.
