A month after setting out from Bozeman, Montana, Philomath City Councilor Rich Saalsaa is scheduled to take the final steps of his 760-mile trek on Thursday afternoon in Seattle.
Saalsaa, 68, and naturopathic doctor Dennis Godby, 70, are wrapping up the final leg of Godby’s five-year, 3,450-mile Walk USA for Health Equity campaign, which aims to draw attention to how factors like ZIP code, income, education and access to care shape a person’s health.
The pair’s arrival coincides with Health Equity Week, which the Philomath City Council officially recognized at its Sept. 14 meeting.
Mayor Christopher McMorran introduced the resolution, noting it was requested by Saalsaa, who was on the road at the time. The council approved it unanimously.
“I just want to say a huge thanks to Councilor Saalsaa for submitting this and for doing the much harder task of actually walking,” McMorran said. “I am very inspired by his commitment, and I’m glad we were able to pass this together tonight.”
The resolution, read aloud by the mayor, defines health equity as a just opportunity for everyone to achieve their fullest health potential, which requires removing obstacles such as poverty and discrimination. It notes that systemic issues, including racism, are linked to negative health outcomes and calls for a collective commitment from government, institutions and businesses to promote equitable policies.
The proclamation designates Sept. 20-26 as Health Equity Week in Philomath and calls on residents to recognize the role of public health, support local health equity initiatives and advocate for policies that promote well-being for all.
Philomath joined a list of cities that have issued similar proclamations as the walk made its way west. Washington Gov. Bob Ferguson proclaimed Sept. 24 as Health Equity Day.
The route took the two longtime friends — who first met as seminary classmates in California in the early 1970s — across Montana, through Idaho and into Washington. Thursday’s finale follows a 3-mile route through Seattle that Saalsaa and Godby test-walked earlier this year. They are scheduled to arrive at Pier 62 on Thursday in the late afternoon.
Saalsaa, who retired as Philomath Fire and Rescue’s deputy fire chief in December 2024 after a 50-year public safety career, said in August that the walk carries a dual meaning for him — as a private citizen honoring a decades-old friendship and as an elected official looking for ways to improve health care access for Philomath residents.
“As a first responder, I got to see it up close and personal, even in our own town,” Saalsaa said at the time.
Donations collected along the route cover the cost of the walk with any leftover funds going to regional health equity organizations.
Those interested in following the walk can do so through the Walk USA for Health Equity website, Facebook and Instagram pages.
