Maria's Hiking to Find Cures!

My Newest Adventure:

Hiking to Find Cures!

In 2004, I hiked all over the Pacific Northwest to blow off big city steam. In 2006, my lungs nearly exploded trying to hike out of Haleakala crater in Hawaii. Last year, I scrambled up the slippery steps on Waynapicchu. This year, I'm hiking to help find a cure for leukemia, lymphoma, and other blood cancers! You can help also, and all that you need to do is donate to the cause!

Hike For Discovery is The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's adventure fundraising program that prepares people to experience a natural wonder in a special way.

This is my first time actually training for any kind of physically challenging event. Over the summer, I will be hiking the mountains of New Mexico as we train to hike in Rocky Mountain National Park in September. Starting this week and training through the fall, we will cover a total distance of approximately 132 miles and 25,280 vertical feet of elevation change- that's higher than Mt. Kilimanjaro!

Visit my hiking journal to see photos and hear how I'm doing: http://mariaboots.blogspot.com/

While I'm training, I am raising funds to help The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) cure leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin's disease and myeloma. LLS has awarded more than $550 million in research grants.

I am committed to raise at least $5,000 this summer! I hope to reach most of this goal amount by July 31. Will you please help?

More than 712,000 Americans are battling these blood cancers. Leukemia remains a leading cause of death in both children and adults.

Research is the only cure for cancer and our federal government continues to make budget cuts for cancer research funding. It is up to us to provide support.

Please consider what you can afford to donate in support of my participation in Hike for Discovery. Your 100% tax deductible donation will help fund research as well as funding the patient support missions of LLS.

There are several ways YOU can help:

• You could pledge one dollar (or any amount) for every mile I will hike (approx. 132 miles)
• You could donate $100 (or more) and become one of my "Fabulous Fifty" to help me reach my goal of $5000.
• You could pledge to give up one movie night, one round of drinks, or one Starbucks and donate what you can afford instead. $10, $50, anything!
• You can forward this page to five of your colleagues or friends and ask them to donate if they find this to be of value.

Here are my honorees I will be hiking for:

• Billie Friesen
• Whitey Friesen
• Aly
• Sterling C Knoff
• Eric van Houten
• June & Gay

I would be proud to carry the name of someone close to you that was affected by any form of cancer. Send me his or her name and I will carry it as a special ribbon on my hiking pack.

Thank you so much for your support! Click on the "Tell Me More!" button to learn more about Hikes for Discovery and LLS.

THANK YOU!!!!

6/07/08 Chuck breaks the ice with a generous donation. Thank you so much for always supporting me! You're the best!

6/09/08 Thanks for the donation Westin! My former hiking pal... we will hit some trails again soon!

6/14/08 Thanks to cousin Carlos Rivera! Hope to see you at a Rockies game soon!!!

6/17/08 Nate- you're the cat's pajamas! Thank you for supporting LLS!

6/22/08 Thank you to Jason! Just finished a big hike today and came home to sunshine in my mailbox!

6/30/08 Special thanks to Chuck Gasparovic, Patti Canard, two Mystery Donors, Art Rivera, Sela Smith, Judy Gilman, Chris Fogel, Elsie, and Grandma Sylvia for making it a great weekend! Over $1200 raised and counting!!!

7/03/08 And the donations keep coming in! Thank you to Biatris Barrera, Chris Nance, and Ida Sikorski for your generous donations.

7/06/08 Thanks Jake for the dinner, donation, and nice words. I'm so sore!!! And a big thank you to Weldon for helping me get the word out. You're the bee's knees! Thanks for believing in me everyone. I made it to the top of New Mexico!

7/10/08 Wow, my muscles are finally recovering and the donations are still growing. Thanks to Jeannie Boyle, Raye Knoff, Aunt Cheryl and Uncle Ed, Brian Burns, and Megan and Colin for be superstars! (P.S. Megan, you're a goofball if you think we're gonna hike 4,470 miles- haha! Woman challenge!) Total donations as of today = $1750!!!

7/15/08 We're officially over the $2000 mark as of today! A big thank you to Al & Jo Nell Tyson and my dear sweet momma for your generous contributions!

7/16/08 Thanks to Janice & Steve Burford, David & JoAnn Powell, Mr & Mrs Leonard Rieken, Carolyn Truesdale, and Paul Poteat for filling my mailbox with sunshine. You guys are the best!