Ron Pierce, CEO of RSA Consulting, in Tampa, started a new philanthropic program, Steps for Session Challenge, to walk the distance from Tampa to Tallahassee and back during Florida’s 60-day legislative session.
The 556-mile challenge commenced on the opening day of the Florida legislative session and will benefit Southeastern Guide Dogs, an organization that provides service dogs for visually impaired individuals, veterans and children who suffered a loss of a parent in the military, at no cost.
The Steps for Session challenge will conclude when the legislature adjourns Sine Die, expected on April 30.
RSA, a government relations and consulting firm, has an office next to the Florida Capitol. Pierce challenged himself to walk 10,000 steps every day during the 2020 session to equal up to 556 miles.
“We drive from Tampa to Tallahassee every week during Florida’s legislative session, so I know firsthand just how far the roundtrip 556-mile journey is,” said Pierce, in a statement.
Based in Manatee County, Southeastern Guide Dogs has trained more than 3,000 service dogs since opening in 1984. “We’re truly grateful to RSA Consulting for organizing the RSA Steps to Session Challenge to benefit Southeastern Guide Dogs,” said Andy Kramer, Southeastern Guide Dog’s vice president of philanthropy, in the statement. “All of our services, which include selective breeding and expert dog training, comprehensive on-campus student instruction and lifetime follow-up and support are provided at no cost to recipients, so we rely on the generosity of donors such as RSA.”
