Multiple Miles for Sclerosis

Imagine yourself standing on top of a mountain sourrounded by the sounds and smells of nature. The sun warming your skin as it peaks up over the distance mountain tops. Your ears delighted by the sound of birds sharing their beautiful songs. The cool wind is rustling your hair and bringing the distant smell of Ponderosa Pine. You are the only person on the mountain but not truly alone because you are surrounded by the awakening of life to a new day. This love and connection I have to the natural world is something  I share with many people including my friend and co-worker Hannah.

Last year, Hannah was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, a degenerative and often debilitating disease. In a short time period, she became very physically limited, and simple tasks, like getting dressed, became difficult.  She can no longer spend time in nature the way she used to.  This means that her favorite thing to do, hiking, is extremely challenging and she hasn't been able to do so in 2 years.

I have always wanted to thru hike (to hike an entire long distance trail end-to-end) the Pacific Crest Trail, which runs from Mexico to Canada through California, Oregon and Washington. This dream will become a reality this summer, and now I have an opportunity to give this amazing journey more meaning. Hannah inspired me to raise money and awareness for MS along my 2600 mile journey. 

Some of the money will be used to help pay for the thru hike, which will take about 5 months to complete. The rest will be given to Can Do MS. This is a nonproft organization that has helped Hannah and so many others with MS. Hannah has been a part of their programs and believes so much in what they do.  I will use this journey to educate others about facing obstacles big and small, physical and mental. I will be sharing Hannah's story with all I meet because she will be with me every step I take. This hike will be long and at times trying mentally, emotionally, and physically, but it is nothing compared to the trials those living with MS face on a daily bases. The PCT has an end but Hannah's journey with MS has yet to find an end, but hopefully we can change that.

Hannah is an amazing person and I want her to continue to enjoy the things she loves. By donating, we can raise awareness and understanding of multiple sclerosis and help to further research.   Within her lifetime, we can fight for a cure that will allow Hannah, and everyone with MS, continue to do and enjoy the things they love. 

I will  be writing a blog at http://multiplemilesforsclerosis.wordpress.com 
and posting pictures on instagram #multiplemilesforsclerosis detailing my adventure and keeping donors updated on this amzaing journey. Hannah will also be posting in this blog because this is her adventure too. 

 Any donation will be greatly appreciated and heartwarming. I hope with your generous support, the dream for a cure can become a reality.

“It had nothing to do with gear or footwear or the backpacking fads or philosophies of any particular era or even with getting from point A to point B.
It had to do with how it felt to be in the wild. With what it was like to walk for miles with no reason other than to witness the accumulation of trees and meadows, mountains and deserts, streams and rocks, rivers and grasses, sunrises and sunsets. The experience was powerful and fundamental. It seemed to me that it had always felt like this to be a human in the wild, and as long as the wild existed it would always feel this way.”
― Cheryl Strayed, Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail

Donations/Sponsorship:
Thank you so much BearVault for donating a BV 500 bear canister to this amazing adventure!

Thank you so much Americas Printer for donating business cards to give to people along my journery to help raise awarness and money!