When I tell people that I'm going to hike 20.8 miles in one day in the middle of August in the mountains of West Virginia and annoy all my friends by asking them over and over again to donate money to CureSearch to help fund research for a cure for childhood cancer, some of them seem to think I've gone round the bend. Since so many people are asking and because there are so many answers to that one question- some more charitable than others- I figured I'd compile them here.
1. Because it's there. Sure, it's no Mt. Everest, but for my body, it may as well be. I don't think I've hiked more than three miles at one go in the last 12 years. I want this body, which has seen better days, to remind my addled mother-to-three-small-boys brain that it can, in fact, accomplish things that don't involve growing or maintaining another human being.
2. Because in its own insane way, it seems like it will be fun.
3. Because twice a year I take one of my kids to the UNC Children's Specialty Clinic for a visit with a specialist. My kid walks in on his own, with all of his hair, without an oxygen tank, and without any other visible sign of why we're there. Sure, my kid has a chronic medical condition that may be with him throughout his life and merits being followed by a specialist, but there's no chance that it will take his life, and that makes me one of the luckiest mamas in that waiting room.
4. Because I know that I could one day walk into our pediatricians office for a routine well-child visit and walk out with a child who has cancer.
5. But mostly, I'm doing it because of kids like Eve whose mom, Christy, will be hiking with me. Check out this video of Eve giving me and my fellow hikers some encouragement.
After you watch the video, I'm sure you'll be compelled to donate to CureSearch. You can do it HERE!
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