Doris “Granny D” Haddock is, of course, fondly remembered for the 3200 mile walk from Los Angeles to Washington, D.C. in her 90th year, from January 1999 to February 2000. The Dublin resident, who died at age 100 in 2010, accomplished this feat in order to rally young and old citizens to her cause: bringing about campaign finance reform in our country.
To condition herself for the long march, Granny D observed a strict regimen of practice walks of about 10 miles each, 6 days a week. One of her favorite routes was from her house on Cobb Meadow Road in Dublin to the heart of Hancock and back.
On August 23, some of her followers will walk that trail, starting on Cobb Meadow Road at 9 AM and ending in Hancock (6 miles one way) in time to visit the Farmers’ Market and gather for a picnic luncheon. A shuttle will be available for the return trip to Dublin.
The memorial walk will follow a talk by Professor Lawrence Lessig, Director of the Safra Center for Ethics at Harvard University, at the Amos Fortune Forum on Friday, August 22, at 8 PM on the subject “Achieving Equal Citizenship: The struggle to restore our Republic.” Professor Lessig is a great admirer of Granny D, who, with her warmth, humor and determination demonstrated to us all what she called “the power of one.”
If you need help finding a place to stay in the area, you can call the contact number below.
Event Schedule:
- 9 am. Start walking from Dublin to Hancock
- 11 am. Arrive in Hancock village. Swim, explore Farmers Market, and town.
- 12 noon. Gather on Hancock Green for picnic lunch and to hear from Larry Lessig.*
- 1 pm. Walk back to Dublin or be shuttled back. Carpooling is encouraged.
- 3 pm. Arrive back in Dublin. Drive home.
*The approximate address for your GPS for the noon event is: 30 Main Street, Hancock, N.H. 03449