Former Marine, Current Army Ranger Going Miles For Myles
Posted
Jennifer Peryam-jperyam@timesuniononline.com
Former Marine and current Indiana National Guard Ranger Michael Stinfer will walk from Warsaw To Fort Wayne to raise funds for 2-year-old Myles Bartley who is need of a kidney transplant. Stinfer, 34, Warsaw, will begin his 41-mile walk June 20 at the war memorial at the county courthouse and end at the Fort Wayne Memorial Coliseum. Stinfer is asking people to donate funds per mile for the walk. A group of five to 10 other Marines and Rangers will walk with him. Stinfer has set up an account for donations at Lake City Bank called the Myles Bartley Savings Benefit Fund. The funds will be used to assist with Bartley’s medical expenses. Stinfer is a 1998 Warsaw Community High School graduate, and a 2011 Grace College business management grad. Stinfer served in the Marine Corp from 1999 to 2003 and served during the initial invasion of Iraq in 2003. He currently is an Army Ranger with the Indiana National Guard. A story on Bartley was published in the Times-Union March 11, and Stinfer read the article and wanted to help Bartley. “War is hell. Sometimes there are uncontrollable circumstances innocent people and bystanders get in, and this is my positive way to give back to uncontrollable circumstances,” Stinfer said. Stinfer said he met Barley at his Warsaw home May 7. “He is a resilient warrior,” Stinfer said. “We hear a lot of negativity in today’s world and what matters is taking care of our community first.” Bartley’s mother, Sarah Rife, said she is thankful for Stinfer’s idea to raise funds. “Michael is pretty much amazing. It’s pretty rare to find a person like that, a complete stranger that says he wants to help you and your family,” Rife said.
