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On Sept. 28, hundreds of walkers left Bethlehem, Pennsylvania to take part in the first leg of a 500-mile journey to Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Five women walking the entire 500-mile journey have passed the 300-mile mark. The journey is to celebrate Salem Academy and College, the oldest institution in the U.S. dedicated to educating women and girls.

Over 250 years ago, 18 young women and girls walked from Bethlehem to North Carolina. Their journey eventually led to the founding of Salem Academy and College.

The 500-mile journey will end on Oct. 26 in Winston-Salem at the Salem Square.

“As we see women across the world raise their voices to gain equal access to education, I am proud to be a graduate of Salem College, which has worked for over two and a half centuries to empower and educate women,” Dail Richie, a 1972 graduate of Salem College, said. Richie is a member of the committee tasked with planning the 500-mile walk to North Carolina.

Hundreds of Salem enthusiasts have participated by walking various legs of the journey to Salem. Five Salem Academy and College alumnae will walk the entire 500-mile trek, including:

Frances Cronlund – Salem College Class of 1998

Lucy Rose – Salem College Class of 1976

Marcia Shawler – Salem Academy Class of 1975

Debbie Stansberry Faires – Salem Academy Class of 1982

Elizabeth Wade – Salem Academy Class of 1988

The Journey to Salem includes traveling along the routes below:

1. Bethlehem, PA to Allentown, PA (9-28-21, 14 miles)

2. Allentown, PA to Reading, PA (9-29-21, 20 miles)

3. Reading, PA to Lititz, PA (9-30-21, 19.4 miles)

4. Lititz, PA to York, PA (10-1-01, 21.6 miles)

5. York, PA to Hanover, PA (10-2-21, 21.6 miles)

6. Hanover, PA to Westminster, MD (10-3-21, 18.7 miles)

7. Westminster, MD to Frederick, MD (10-4-21, 20.3 miles)

8. Frederick, MD to Leesburg, VA (10-5-21, 20 miles)

9. Leesburg, VA to Middleburg, VA (10-7-21, 15 miles)

10. Middleburg, VA to Gainesville, VA (10-7-21, 17 miles)

11. Gainesville, VA to Warrenton, VA (10-8-21, 14 miles)

12. Warrenton, VA to Culpeper, VA (10-9-21, 21 miles)

13. Culpeper, VA to Orange, VA (10-10-21, 20 miles)

14. Orange, VA to Gordonsville, VA (10-11-21, 5.8 miles)

15. Gordonsville, VA to Zion Crossroads, VA (10-12-21, 15 miles)

16. Zion Crossroads, VA to Scottsville, VA (10-13-21, 18 miles)

17. Scottsville, VA to Buckingham, VA (10-14-21, 19 miles)

18. Buckingham, VA to Farmville, VA (10-15-21, 20 miles)

19. Farmville, VA to Keysville, VA (10-16-21, 19 miles)

20. Keysville, VA to Wylliesburg, VA (10-17-21, 17 miles)

21. Wylliesburg, VA to South Boston, VA (10-18-21, 22 miles)

22. South Boston, VA to Roxboro, NC (10-19-21, 20 miles)

23. Roxboro, NC to Hillsborough, NC (10-20-21, 20 miles)

24. Hillsborough, NC to Mebane, NC (10-21-21, 13 miles)

25. Mebane, NC to Burlington, NC (10-22-21, 15 miles)

26. Burlington, NC to Greensboro, NC (10-23-21, 22 miles)

27. Greensboro, NC to Kernersville, NC (10-24-21, 16 miles)

28. Kernersville, NC to Bethabara/Winston-Salem, NC (10-25-21, 17 miles)

29. Bethabara to Salem Square (10-26-21, 6.5 miles)

For more information, visit: Salem.Journey.edu.