COLLINSVILLE, Ill. — Jesse Larios, also known as “Bear Sun” is walking from Los Angeles to New York City.
Although many other people have also done this, he is wearing a full bear costume. He was recently spotted walking along Belt Line road in Collinsville Illinois.
He started his 2,800-mile journey on July 5 and hopes to be in Times Square in 30 days. He averages 28 miles per day, but with 970 miles to go, he will need to walk 30 miles per day in order to reach New York by mid-November.
His most difficult parts of the journey so far were the triple-digit temperatures in the Mojave Desert and monsoon type of rains in Arizona. Larios is raising funds for 5 different causes, breast cancer research, mental health issues, autism, the disabled community and environmental issues. His main purpose though is to bring a smile to people’s face.
“To make people happy by using my sense of humor and to correlate my art with mental health, that’s the primary cause I’m walking for,” said Larios.
He is walking on his own with no support vehicle. He carries water, protein bars and a tent to sleep in and stays mainly on state highways and back roads. He is amazed that as he goes from state to state there are people waiting to help him.
“I get help from the community, there’s always people there," said Larios. “People have been humane, a lot of humanity out there, a lot of good.”
To read more about his journey or to donate go to his GoFundMe, click here.