Nancy Zyburt is on a ‘Give Back to America’ road trip
By Renee Bruck
The Madison Courier
MADISON, Ind. (AP) — A woman on an adventure of a lifetime stopped in Madison last week on her journey to every state in the U.S. and the nation’s territories.
Nancy Zyburt of Michigan walked in the door of the Big Brothers Big Sisters of Jefferson County office on Wednesday to make a donation. She gave $56, something she’s doing during each day of her 56-week trip in hopes of helping out groups and organizations just a little.
Zyburt, who is from Lyndon Township in Washtenaw County, Mich., left home on her 56th birthday with the goal of visiting all 50 states, plus five U.S. territories and Washington, D.C., on a “Give Back to America” road trip. She planned to walk 56 miles every week — 8 miles a day during her seven-day stay in each state — with her dog, Tula.
“It’s been something in the back of my mind for several years,” Zyburt told The Madison Courier (http://bit.ly/11bHCkU ).
Zyburt took the idea from memories of family road trips during her childhood. She passed that love of travel on to her own family by choosing a state out of a hat for a vacation each year.
But Zyburt added another component to her trip - making donations. As a mother of three, she donated to hometown organizations or school groups whenever she could throughout the years, but she had always wanted to help out just a little more.
“I could never do as much as I wanted,” she said.
Over the years, ideas of touring each state in the country within a year became her goal. As her 56th birthday approached, she expanded her journey to include Washington, D.C., the U.S. Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, Guam, American Samoa and Northern Mariana Islands.
“It just came together in bits and pieces,” she said.
With her three children grown and on their own, Zyburt decided to make her idea of visiting every state while giving back to worthwhile causes become a reality. She sold her business in 2012 to fund the trip and packed up her van for the year-long adventure.
“I’m kind of spending my retirement,” she said, “but this is way better.”
The trip hasn’t been without its challenges. Zyburt had a plan of how to tour the country in August when she set out from her home in Michigan. She planned to start in the New England states - a part of the country she’d never visited.
But in late October, her itinerary was turned upside down.
“I got blown off course,” she said. “Literally.”
Zyburt had been traveling in Rhode Island when Hurricane Sandy hit the East Coast.
She ended up driving to Ohio to stay with her daughter during the storm, but the rest of her adventure on the East Coast was put on hold for a while.
Instead, she moved on to states in the southern U.S., mindful of her plane reservations to travel to the U.S. territories during the winter months. She returned to the East Coast this spring and recently traveled through Tennessee and Ohio.
This week, her travels brought her to her 35th state - Indiana.
Zyburt crossed into Indiana from Cincinnati and followed the Ohio River through the southern part of the state.
“Wherever I am, I’m drawn to the water,” she said. “I just ended up (in Madison) by following the river.”
Zyburt walked the riverfront and around the historic downtown area while in town. She saw the Big Brothers Big Sisters office door was open during her walk and stopped in to make her donation for the day. Gina Freeman with Big Brothers Big Sisters said the organization usually leaves the door open whenever they can in the spring to welcome the community.
“Literally, that was my last block of walking in Madison,” Zyburt said. “That (donation) was unexpected.”
Zyburt often has an idea of where she wants to donate, like her weekly donation to some kind of military cause, or to food pantries, school groups and women’s shelters.
“Occasionally, I hear things on the news,” she said.
Other times, as with the Big Brothers Big Sisters office in Madison, Zyburt just stumbles upon an organization she feels is deserving of a donation.
“Sometimes it’s whatever I find where I go through,” she said. “I catch people by surprise when I stop in.”
