AT for ALS

Hi everyone! Last summer, while I was chatting with my neighbor Curtis, I came up with this seemingly crazy idea to hike the Appalachian Trail the following summer. Curtis, a renowned windsor chairmaker from Jonesborough, TN, was telling me about the time he “wandered” the AT. He said something along the lines of, “well, I was a just over 20 and I was working my way through college when my friends asked me if I wanted to hike this trail that started in Georgia and went all the way to Maine. I had never heard of it of course, but me being me, I just had to say yes. My history professors were all really interested in my hike, and believe it or not, they allowed me to mail them assignments while I was on the trail.” Looking back on it, he wasn’t telling me this story just to tell it. He knew that his life back then mirrored my life now. Those words planted the seed that would soon cause me to start planning the same grand adventure that he embarked on almost 50 years ago.

If you look to the right, this page says that the goal for this fundraiser is 1,750 miles, but to tell you the truth, goals are very much not my forte. I look at them as double edged swords that can quickly lead to disappointment and distract from the little gems that are placed along one’s walk of life. But for this hike I have set two goals. First, I would like to spread awareness about ALS which my father passed away from earlier this year. Second, I would like to use the time to begin to heal from the grief that I feel from his death. My dad was caring, had a huge affinity for giving, and was an adventure junkie (which he has passed down to me), but most importantly he loved me with a love that I don’t think I will ever experience again. With this fundraiser, I hope to continue his memory.

All proceeds will be given to the ALS Association (https://www.als.org/) which is a nonprofit that funds research geared towards finding a cure for ALS and helps provide care for ALS patients. After I collect the donations, I will donate everything to the ALS Association in a lump sum payment.

I also want to thank my good friend, Carter, who graciously agreed (to my mother’s delight) to join me on the trail.

Thanks in advance for your support,

Tom Donahue