GILBERT, AZ — A Gilbert father turned the death of his son into a cross-country mission to raise awareness about substance abuse and support families touched by addiction.

Twenty years ago, Barry Adkins’ eighteen-year-old son Kevin died from alcohol poisoning the day he moved out on his own. What was supposed to be a simple night of celebrating with friends changed his family’s lives forever.

Rather than grieve in private, Kevin’s father placed his son’s ashes in a backpack and began walking more than 1,400 miles from Gilbert, Arizona, to Kalispell, Montana. Along the way, he met families impacted by substance abuse, shared his son’s story at schools, and raised awareness every step of the way.

That journey has since grown into the Million Mile Challenge. Every mile, he said, represents hope for someone still fighting their battle.

Watch in the player above as ABC15 meets the Arizona father who turned unimaginable loss into a mission of hope.

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