[pct-l] Question for fundraisers/charity hikers >> aidshike.org

[jennhead22 at yahoo.com (Jenn Head)]

  Umm...since when did hiking for the love of hiking and wanting to increase awareness of and raise money for a charity become mutually exclusive?????
   
  I am hiking because I love to hike. I absolutely LOVE backpacking and can't think of many other activities I would rather be a part of. Period. We also view this as an opportunity to get some people, maybe not even a lot, to donate to a small non profit that is in dire need of money. It doesn't mean that I just don't get thru hiking...or that I wanted to raise money for a charity and I thought that a thru hike would be the best way to do it. See -  I have been planning to thru hike for a decade (almost out of school for good)...just this year did it occur to me to try to raise money for a charity. NB: thru hike first, charity second. There is no "umbrella" or guise. Nothing sneaky or underhanded. If you want to hike for you and you only - FINE!!!! That's the way YOU prefer to do it. Why complain and moan everytime someone posts a question about hiking for a charity? So Rhys, don't let anyone make you feel bad about what you want to do. Don't let them make you feel like you are
 hiking for the wrong reasons or that you are somehow cheapening your thru hike. That is the most ridiculous thing that anyone has ever found to complain about. Who cares what any one else thinks - you are hiking for your own reasons and they are hiking for theirs. Wouldn't it be just the most outlandish thing ever if you were hiking because you love to hike even though you want to raise moeny for a charity??? On the other side of the coin, I could see why people would complain if you were using some of the money raised to fund your hike.....
  Anyway, visit Tha Wookie's page http://www.thawookie.com/. I wrote him with some of the same questions you probably have and he was extrememly helpful. Search the trailforum's archives. Write Michael Lissner.
   
  RE the fantasy football/whoring analogy.....yikes
   
  Patch, we have not forgotten about you or aidshike.org. We are working at getting something written for our charity page. It is a priority. Thanks again for putting the time into making it and keeping it going.
  jackalope


Michael Lissner <mlissner@michaeljaylissner.com> wrote:
  I can second Mouse's comments, as they about describe my circumstances 
exactly. I was out there to hike. Period. I started planning my hike a 
long time before the concept of doing it for a cause came along. In 
fact, it wasn't even my idea - a friend of mine asked if I was doing it 
for a cause, to which I said, "No - I should though, huh?" My line of 
thought was that it would be a disservice not to be hiking for a cause 
if I had the time and motivation, which I did.

That said, every now and again, it was nice to think to myself that with 
every footfall that I took, I raised some bit of money. I can't say that 
really motivated me that much in the short term (take a break now, or 
keep going), but in the long run (should I maybe just quit?) it 
definitely made a difference at least a couple times.

Anyway, to answer Rhys's original question, if you're hiking for a 
cause, I'd love to hear from you. Look to aidshike.org, my site that I'm 
setting up for anybody that's hiking for a cause. After doing my hike 
for a cause, I decided the best thing I could do now that I'm back is to 
help others do the same - hence the site. Don't let the name fool you. 
The site is for anybody hiking for any cause.

-Dr. Patch O'Malley IV


Joseph Niemiec wrote:

> Yeah but some people don;t really know they love to hike and start out 
> hiking the PCT. In that case then who cares if they also raise money 
> for charity... Plus, if you love to hike, and you are going to hike 
> anyway, why not use the opportunity to raise money if you feel like 
> it. Or another situation is that you need a little kick in the pants 
> to go hike, it helps you do the hike - like gives you extra reason to 
> get extra involved. Gets a cause behind you.
>
> Now, I have to say that I just hiked to hike. And in a way it just 
> clears your mind. You aren;t out there for anything but your own time. 
> That did make the hike enjoyable for me. I didn't really have to think 
> about stress - eat, sleep, walk... Wait for the next beautiful 
> sight... I liked doing that...
>
> I think that might be the feeling that you think people miss when they 
> hike for charity... I understand how you experienced something special 
> with hiking just to hike.
>
> But all people need different things I think. Maybe they already got 
> that feeling of freedom for themselves in a different life experience. 
> But this time they want to do it for another reason... I don;t see 
> harm in that.
>
> I think there is more to your story, like some chairty hikers that you 
> hiked with once always baked fresh muffins and never gave you any or 
> something ;)
>
>
> But if anyone does start to hike for charity, I recommend they do it 
> for the organization entitled - 28 year old's who just finished their 
> undergrads and do not have jobs yet.
>
> Thanks,
>
> Mouse
>
>> To: yogihikes@sbcglobal.net, pct-l@mailman.backcountry.net
>> Subject: RE: [pct-l] Question for fundraisers/charity hikers
>> Date: Mon, 26 Dec 2005 23:03:27 -0600
>>
>> I don;t think it is that absurd... My hiking partner Pineneedle was 
>> hiking for charity and Halftrack was too.
>>
>> Does anyone have Halftrack's contact info?
>>
>> Why do you think it is absurd to hike for charity Yogi?
>>
>> Mouse
>>
>>
>>> From: yogi 
>>> To: pct-l@mailman.backcountry.net
>>> Subject: [pct-l] Question for fundraisers/charity hikers
>>> Date: Mon, 26 Dec 2005 20:32:32 -0800 (PST)
>>>
>>> If you want to hike the PCT, then hike the PCT. Period.
>>>
>>> Raising money for a charity is an entirely different subject. 
>>> Congratulations for wanting to help a charity. I admire anyone who 
>>> dedicates their time to helping any charity. However, in my opinion, 
>>> hiking a long trail under the umbrella of hiking "for" something is 
>>> . . . . . well . . . . . I just can't find the adjective to explain 
>>> how absurd this is.
>>>
>>> yogi
>>> www.pcthandbook.com
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> Rhys A 
wrote:
>>> Hello everyone! I want to hike the PCT and raise money for our local 
>>> Humane
>>> Society. I've scoured journals and read many books of past 'charity' 
>>> hikers,
>>> but I can't find good directions on how to go about setting up a 
>>> fundraising
>>> hike...who to contact, etc.
>>>
>>> If anyone has any details or experiences to share, I'd really 
>>> appreciate it!
>>>
>>> Thanks, and happy hiking! :)
>>>
>>> --Rhys
>>>
>>> _________________________________________________________________
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Jennifer Head

Ph.D. Candidate
Oregon Institute of Marine Biology
P.O. Box 5389
Charleston, Oregon 97420 
Phone: (541) 888-2581 ext. 291
Fax: (541) 888-3250

http://www.trailjournals.com/JennandBri/





		
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