Blaine couple aims to spread love and unity across the U.S. in 4.5-year journey

A Blaine couple is inviting the public to join them as they take their first steps on a 4.5-year journey to spread peace and unity across the country. The journey, called Walking in Love, will embark from the Peace Arch monument in Blaine at 1 p.m. Saturday, March 8 before moving through the streets of downtown.

The pair, Beckey Hamm, 55, and Scott Hamm, 59, will travel to every state capitol, with their final destination set for Washington, D.C. in September 2029. They will spend nine days in each city where they will host a unity walk, time of worship, prayer and community project.

The Hamms decided to take the journey after Scott retired from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security last September. Originally, the couple had wanted to visit all the national parks, but they decided to do both the parks and capitols to bring more purpose to their travels. The journey is named after Beckey’s nonprofit, Walking in Love, in which she provides life coaching and caregiving support.

“As we started talking, we wanted to spread love throughout the nation and so we want to go see the capitols along with the national parks,” Beckey said.

Beckey said she hoped other people would join their journey, especially those who could capture it through video and photos. Walking in Love will provide updates on the Beckey Hamm YouTube channel and the Walking in Love Facebook page.

Beckey said she decided to start the walk in Blaine, the only city that isn’t a capitol, in part, because it’s home to the Peace Arch.

“This is where America begins,” Beckey said. “We have the Peace Arch, and the Peace Arch is a sign of unity between Canada and America. I think we can take that sign of unity and take it throughout the United States.”

Walking in Love will start at 1 p.m. Saturday, March 8 from the Peace Arch and proceed through downtown Blaine, passing Peace Portal Drive, Blaine City Hall, the Salishan neighborhood, Blaine Food Bank and ending at Peace Arch Historical State Park. The group will then hold an inclusive worship and prayer tent at the telescope shelter at Blaine Marine Park at 4:30 p.m. until dusk Friday, March 14.

Walking in Love will make its next stop in Denver March 22-30, followed by Olympia May 3-11. The pair will head to Salem, Oregon; Little Rock, Arkansas; Pierre, South Dakota; Bismarck, North Dakota and Helena, Montana from late spring to late summer.