Hiking to Save Lives

In 2008, I joined the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's "Hike for Discovery" program. It was a first time I was a part of something so powerful. I have donated to many charities through the years, but I have never fundraised for them. I joined the Hike program in memory of my grandfather who lost a short and quick battle with Leukemia, but soon discovered there were friends and acquaintenances who had a blood cancer as well. In the end, I hiked the Grand Canyon in honor or memory of 20 people who are in the fight for their life or who have already lost the fight.

I had not planned to do it again this year, because I thought my life was too busy. Over the past twelve months, I have bumped into several of my donation sponsors from last year and they asked if I was doing it again, and thanked me for what I had done. Their thanks really meant a lot. I know this is what I was meant to do.

This year, Hike for Discovery merged with the already well-established Team in Training (maybe one day I will walk a marathon, but for now I will just hike), and I am currently training to hike the great Smoky Mountains in Tennessee on October 3rd.

While I am training, I am also raising money for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society and have set my goal at $6000 -- hopefully to surpass the $5305 that I raised last year. Blood cancers do not slow down with a recession and the LLS is doing a wonderful job at giving children and adults with blood cancers more hope than ever of surviving, so I will do all that I can to raise as much as I can, so the LLS can continue that fight to one day have a cure.

Any amount you can donate helps, whether it is $5, $10, $15, $25 or even more. So, please help me reach my fundraising goal by making a 100% tax-deductible donation today to The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.

I am also selling 2010 CALENDARS with photos from my training hikes on the Appalachian Trail in Central PA and from the actual hike down into the Grand Canyon. The Calendars have turned out beautiful - you can see a proof by going to this link: http://www.createphotocalendars.com/Gallery/shared%20pdfs/116509J1.pdf

If you would like to purchase a calendar, please send me an email - kim_kauffman@verizon.net. They are $20 (and that includes the postage to mail it to you. This beautiful calendar would make a great gift and it's also a tax-deductible donation! You'll get to see the Grand Canyon from a different angle.

If you would like me to hike in honor or memory of someone you care about, please send me an email -- kim_kauffman@verizon.net. I will be proud to carry them with me, along with my Pappy, as I head to the top of the Smoky Mountains.

Thank you,in advance, for your support. Even if you can only provide moral support, that is enough.

With warmth, love, and thanks,

Kim