My Xtreme Hike Story

I am looking forward to my continued support of the Charlotte CF chapter and on April 22nd will be hiking 30 miles along a great section of the Appalachian Trail that goes from Damascus, VA to Grayson Highlands State Park (home of the wild ponies). As a reminder, the Xtreme Hike events are one day endurance events to raise money and awareness for Cystic Fibrosis (CF). CF is a devastating genetic disease that affects the lungs and digestive system of more than 40,000 children and adults in the United States with around 1,000 new cases each year. Research and care supported by the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation are making a huge difference in extending and improving the quality of life for those with CF. However, we continue to lose at least one precious life to CF each day.

Since inception in 2009, the Xtreme Hike has raised over $30.0mm nationally, making it one of the leading fund raisers for CF nationally. For me personally, my involvement started off as a physical challenge for what seemed like a good cause but one that I knew little about. Eleven years and nine hikes later, I have served on the Charlotte CF Board, have raised over $100k for CF, and have been lucky enough to meet some fantastic people along the way. I continue to hike for the those families whose loved ones continue to be impacted by CF, and I am also excited to have my daughter Kate join me this year and definitely push me in my training.

I have set a goal to raise $10,000 to benefit CF research and am asking my friends and family to again support me in this endeavor. As a reminder, all donations are 100% tax-deductible and nearly 90% of every dollar of revenue is utilized to support research, care and education.