Donation hike

[Matt2012]

I have been planning a 4/4/12 NOBO departure over the last few months. My father was diagnosed with Multiple Myeloma about a year and half ago. Multiple Myeloma is a rare blood cancer which attaches to and deteriorates bones. It has one of the shortest term survival rates after diagnoses of all cancers. There is no cure and only treatment to prolong life.

Over this past Christmas, my father and I worked together to set up a Facebook page, Trail Journals site and we also contacted the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation or MMRF. MMRF was very helpful and quick to reply. Through the MMRF we were able to create a site to collect donations by using www.active.com. By referring people to the site, money never goes through me although I can manually enter cash donations if they occur. I originally thought that I wanted to collect pledges based on a per mile hiked basis but decided to just go with a straight up front donation.

My feeling is that, yes I plan on hiking to Katahdin but the reason behind donations shouldn't necessarily be based on whether or not I finish. Its more about raising money for the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation and using the Appalachian Trail as a tool to solicit these donations.

I will probably get some sort of business card together in order to easily pass on the information while I'm out and about.

These are my sites
http://www.active.com/donate/2012mmrfYOR/AT4MM
www.Trailjournals.com/at4mm
facebook search "Appalachian trail 4 multiple myeloma"

I have just started to get everything finalized in order to start soliciting donations. Today I received my first donation which was pretty exciting.

My father passed away last Thursday, 1/12/12. I will be doing a lot of soul searching and healing over my hike.

Matt Howard
Charlotte, NC

trailname undecided, thinking of "MMRF" pronounced "murph"

[captsdg]

We are hiking to raise donations for wounded veterans. Check us out at www.warriorhike.com.

How, exactly.... Would one set up a giving campaign based around a through hike? I don't have a charity in mind, but I certainly could raise some donations... Ideas?