It’s not every day you see a bear in Gilroy. Especially one that walks on two legs with a disproportionately large head and a cartoonish face.
Jessy Larios, a 33-year-old from Lynwood, is walking 400 miles from Los Angeles to San Francisco, all while in a giant teddy bear costume known as “Bearsun.”
Larios, whose adventure has been picked up along the way by media outlets such as CNN and Reuters, began his walk on April 12. He walked through Hollister, Gilroy and Morgan Hill on April 21, traveling through Highway 25 and Monterey Road as he chronicled his journey over live video on Instagram, meeting with fans along the way and waving at the constant stream of honking drivers.
Larios plans to be in San Jose on April 23, and said he hoped to make it to San Francisco by April 24.
“I’m just going with the flow, guys,” he told fans following him on Instagram.
In an interview with Reuters, Larios said he makes stops along the way to sleep and eat, visiting gas stations for meals and to clean up.
In a series of Instagram videos, Larios documented his interactions with fans as he traveled through Highway 25 and South Santa Clara County, even meeting up with some California Highway Patrol officers.
“Gilroy, you’re dope,” he said in an April 21 video. “Sorry Hollister, I snuck through you guys this morning. I didn’t want to wake you up.”
Larios is hoping to raise $10,000 with his walk, which will be donated to a charity to be determined. As of April 22, a GoFundMe page organized by Larios has raised $7,915.
To follow along on Bearsun’s journey, visit instagram.com/iambearsun.
