PORTLAND, Ore. — Back in mid-March, Grady Lambert picked Cannon Beach, Ore. as the place to start his more than 4,000-mile run to Hilton Head Island, South Carolina.
"He just had such a big heart and compassion for those who struggled," his father Mark Lambert said.
Mark and Julie Lambert said their son was running across the country in a show of support for those impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. The friendly bartender from The Rambler in North Portland saw the toll the pandemic was taking on other service industry workers, as well as health care workers and small business owners.
Grady would stop in different towns during his run to talk with these people. He also kept in touch with his mom.
"He's like, 'Mom, I don't understand why I'm not getting media attention while I'm running,'" Julie Lambert said. "He was really bummed."
Grady is now getting that media attention, but for all the wrong reasons.
The Lamberts said on Sunday evening, Grady was running through the Amarillo, Texas area when he was struck by a pick-up truck.
"It was dusk and the driver said he didn't see Grady," Julie said.
The Lamberts believe it was an accident. They said Grady will pass away in the coming days, but not before donating what organs he can.
"Some really cool stuff is going to be happening here in the next 24 to 36 hours with that," Mark said. "Grady, being the compassionate person he was, is giving in that fashion as well so pretty cool."
It is fitting for a guy who for the last five months has been running across America for a good cause — a journey that is not yet over.
"He told us if something were to happen, he wants us to finish," Mark said.
"He wants us to take his ashes and finish his run," Julie added. "So at some point, we'll take his ashes and spread them from here to Hilton Head Island."
Grady started a GoFundMe at the start of his run to raise money for the different types of people impacted by the pandemic. With the run cut short, money is now being raised for a scholarship to help a student in Grady's hometown of Stillwater, Oklahoma get into nursing.