Through rain or shine, one man is traveling across nearly 50 states to make a difference in the lives of ailing children.

Tye Sturgeon, 20, of Batesville, Ark., has been traveling by horse since March 15 from his hometown to Genoa City, Wis.

Sturgeon said he and his horse, Edward, will be on the road across 48 states for at least two years.

According to Sturgeon’s website, americanwishride.com, he will make 59 stops on the trip. He is headed to Coulterville, his 27th stop, after spending two weeks in Sparta.

As of Sunday, Sturgeon’s trip has generated more than $3,000 in donations of the $30,000 goal for Western Wishes, a non-profit charity that raises money for terminally-ill children.

Its website, westernwishes.org, states its recipients are “predominately rodeo and horse show competitors or ranch-raised children.”

Sturgeon said traveling is not always easy, and he sometimes eats on the side of the road.

“It has been a challenge since day one,” he said. “If it wasn’t for good people, I don’t know if it would be possible for me to do this trip.”

Sturgeon said occasionally people allow him to stay in their homes, and said resting inside is one of the best things. He said because he usually sleeps outside, the weather can be problematic.

“I had it hail on me one night whenever I was trying to sleep,” he said. “That sucked.”

To feed Edward, he stops at the store to buy products with grain, like granola bars or bread. He said sometimes he comes across people who own horses as well, which is beneficial.

At least every two days, I get to camp out – you know if I’ve seen somebody with horses – and I can always buy a little bit of feed,” he said.

On the road, Sturgeon carries just four shirts and three pairs of jeans. He said he consistently camped alone at home to prepare for the trip.

“You really can never prepare – it’s hard to prepare for something like this,” he said.

Sturgeon said his friend Adam Garcia approached him with the idea for the trip. He said at first he did not think it was possible.

“I told him he was crazy,” Sturgeon said. “But then he got me thinking about (the trip) and got me thinking about how many people this would reach out to. Finally I made the decision, I’m going to do it.”

It took him roughly two weeks to consider the trip before deciding to go, Sturgeon said.

“I said here’s the deal Adam, if we’re going to do this, let’s do it for a charity,” he said. “Let’s do it for Western Wishes.”

Sturgeon said Garcia will meet him and Edward in a trailer truck once he arrives in Genoa City, Wis.

Sturgeon had one piece of advice for anyone considering making a long-distance trip like his.

“If (someone) is going to do this, make sure you spend a lot of time with your family before you leave,” he said. “You really get lonely out here.”

Luke Nozicka can be reached at [email protected], on Twitter @lukenozicka, or at 536-3311 ext. 268.