A former Boeing engineer from Gig Harbor has gone “crazy” to raise awareness and funds for animal shelters and groups along the Strait of Juan de Fuca and the Washington coast.

Bill “Crazy Stan the Animal Man” Fay plans to walk 303 miles from Sequim to Long Beach from this coming Saturday through July 15, with the goal of raising funds for 10 animal shelters and groups along the way.

Fay plans a kickoff event at Sequim’s Carrie Blake Park from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday.

During his trek, Fay will wear custom-made animal masks in an effort to catch the attention of people passing by.

“I know that some people are going to look at the crazy animal guy and go ‘What the heck is this about?’” he said. “That’s what I want.”

Fay said he and his wife Nancy “Beautiful Sal the Animal Gal” came up with the fundraiser idea after a previous trek Fay made two years ago when he walked across the state of Washington for his own personal interest.

He is raising funds for Peninsula Friends of Animals, Welfare for Animals Guild, Olympic Peninsula Humane Society, Pet Posse, Friends of Forks Animals, North Beach PAWS, PAWS of Grays Harbor, Harbor Rescue, Harbor Association of Volunteers for Animals and South Pacific County Humane Society.

His goal is to raise money for shelters where, “every dollar really counts.”

Fay is urging people to either donate directly to the organizations he’s supporting or to his GoFundMe campaign.

Fay said 100 percent of the money raised on the GoFundMe will be split evenly between the 10 groups.

He will be covering all the costs associated with his walk.

More than $2,300 has already been donated toward the walk.

Among the highlights of the event, he said, will be a bloodhound trying to find him.

“Crazy Stan is going to hide from the bloodhound and see if the bloodhound can find him, but of course Crazy Stan is going to wear a cat mask,” he said.

“If this works, I’m going to do more animals things.”

Events by the participating organizations are scheduled along the way, including an appearance at the Juan de Fuca Festival, a free spay and neuter event in Forks, marching in a Flag Day parade in Ocean Shores and a pet parade at Sandsations in Long Beach.

Partway into his trip, Fay plans to take a break from his walk to summit Mount Hood in Oregon.

For more information, search for Crazy Stan the Animal Man on Facebook. To donate, visit Gofundme.com/CrazyStanTheAnimalMan.

Jesse Major is a reporter with the Olympic Peninsula News Group, which is composed of Sound Publishing newspapers Peninsula Daily News, Sequim Gazette and Forks Forum. He can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 56250, or at jmajor@peninsuladailynews.com.

Sequim Gazette reporter Erin Hawkins contributed to this story.