Nationwide — Twin brothers Davon and Tavon Woods from Pennsylvania, who were adopted at the age of two, are embarking on a 600-mile walk from Sumter to Philadelphia for 31 days to raise awareness about foster care. With their movement called #FosterKidsMatter, they are stepping up for a cause close to their hearts.
“Foster care isn’t talked about enough,” Davon told WLTX. Tavon added all they want to do is “share our story and share stories of other kids that went through foster care.”
Having been placed in the foster care system immediately after birth and adopted at 2 years old, the Sumter-born brothers aim to provide relatable experiences for kids who might feel voiceless in the system.
“We walked in their shoes, and a lot of our stories are pretty much similar,” Davon said.
Their journey will take them from the Sumter County Courthouse to Philadelphia, carrying one backpack each and wearing donated Hoka shoes. They’ve covered various states before and their longest trek so far was a 96-mile journey from Georgia to Florida.
“Just mentally, it just is very hard just to be able to push, and we do 20-plus miles a day,” Tavod said. “That’s walking eight hours straight.” But the brothers find the strength to persevere, driven by the mission to bring attention to foster care issues.
Moreover, support from the community is pouring in, with residents like their friend Justin McCoon acknowledging the sacrifice and the crucial awareness the brothers are generating. “It’s taken fire faster than I could believe,” McCoon says, emphasizing the impact of their journey.
The brothers appreciate the support from their community, with Tavon stating, “Just to know that we have the support of the city is amazing.”
For Davon and Tavon, the walk is not only about raising awareness but also strengthening their unbreakable bond. Davon said, “It is definitely a blessing and on these walks, it just makes us stronger because we just be talking and just talking and talking about everything that we experienced and how everything is happening now for us.”
