Hallsley neighbors Allison Brinker, Kristin Crain, Anne-Marie Tuohy, and Jennifer Hermanson are taking the challenge of hiking 18 miles in Shenandoah National Park in one day.  Under the leadership of Nick Fessick, Stroll’s Publisher, we have formed the Hallsley Hikers team.  “Why would anyone do that?” you might ask—the answer:  to raise money for the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Greater Virginia.  Every hour of every day, on average, three children are diagnosed with a critical illness.  Every one of these kids needs a wish to give them strength and help them heal.  Recent studies have shown that a wish to come true empowers children to fight harder against their illness and improves their quality of life.  Fifteen thousand wishes are granted nationwide through the Make-A-Wish Foundations, but that is only about 50% of eligible children. 

 

 "I am honoring the memory of my friend’s two children, Olivia & Mikey. They both had a genetic terminal illness, and benefitted from Make-A-Wish." - Allie Brinker

"This hike is a wonderful way to bring awareness to Make a Wish while having an opportunity to spend time in the Shenandoah mountains." - Kristin Crain

"I have volunteered with Make-A-Wish a few times in the past, and this is a great way to raise money for them and work on my health goals all in one.." - Jennifer Hermanson

"As a long time pediatrician, I want to continue to provide help to children and their families with special needs in a new way" - Anne-Marie Tuohy

 

The Trailblaze Challenge is fun! Several months before the event, there are training hikes to help everyone prepare. For the weekend event, hikers get to stay Friday and Saturday nights at the Skyland Resort in Shenandoah National Park and get all their meals provided. The challenge of hiking the 18 miles on Saturday builds wonderful camaraderie among all the hikers, and the team hopes to make several new friends. In return for the amazing experience, hikers help raise awareness and much-needed funds to support Make-A-Wish Greater Virginia.  Each hiker commits to raising $2,500 to grant wishes to critically ill kids right here in Virginia. For anyone who likes to hike, the event cannot be beat! 

If you would like to contribute scan one of the QR codes.