Local participant to trek 30 miles in one day to tell children's cancer to take a hike.

On Saturday, October 3, hikers from the Detroit area will trek more miles before 8 a.m. than most people will walk all day. For the next twelve weeks, Hikers will be training hard and raising funds in order to participate in The Ultimate Hike, a program of CureSearch for Children’s Cancer, and on October 3, all of the hard work will pay off. A group of 40-50 Ultimate Hikers will meet in the lobby of a hotel in Columbus, IN to eat a quick breakfast at around 3:30 a.m. before piling into vans to be transported to the wilderness. When Hikers arrive at the trailhead, they will be released with a small group of fellow hikers into total darkness as they begin their 30 mile trek.

The Ultimate Hikers won’t be in it alone--there will be coaches throughout the trail and aid station teams to ensure they are staying hydrated, have medical support, etc. Most importantly, the Hikers will have inspiration provided by our Ultimate Heroes – families who have personally been affected by children’s cancer. Their stories will be shared throughout the weekend, and will provide Hikers with the boost they need to complete the course. One of these stories is about Ryan, a young boy who passed away after a five year battle against ependymoma, a type of brain cancer. Ryan’s mother, Clarkston resident Kimberly, participates in the Ultimate Hike and says, “I hike for my son who lost a five year battle to brain cancer. I hike because if Ryan could fight with all he had I surely can hike 30 miles in one day. The people that I have met on this hiking adventure every year for four years have become lifelong friends. The people who I have asked to hike and raise money have always said their lives are forever changed. We see miracles on the trail every year.” She also comments that the Ultimate Hike is perfect “if you’re looking for a challenge and if you’re looking to help raise money and awareness for childhood cancer, this experience is where you want to be.”

Local Hikers can learn more about how to get involved with the Ultimate Hike by attending an in-person information meeting on:

Wednesday, June 17, 2015 - 7 PM
REI Northville - 17559 Haggerty Road, Northville, MI 48168

Thursday, June 18, 2015 - 7 PM
REI Troy - 766 E. Big Beaver Road, Troy, MI 48083

Phone information meetings are also available for those interested to learn more.

This year marks the five year anniversary of the Ultimate Hike program. Ultimate Hike is the only endurance hiking event dedicated to ending children’s cancer, the number one disease killer of children. By supporting research driven by CureSearch, Ultimate Hikers are funding targeted and innovative research with measurable results in an accelerated timeframe—in short, research that will lead to the best cures the fastest.

“Hikers are very important to CureSearch. Not only do they fund research that is critical in changing the odds for children facing cancer, but they also send a very important message to every family impacted by children’s cancer. By logging countless miles and putting their sweat and tears out on the trail, they are letting those families know that they are not alone in their battle…and that we are fighting for, or in some cases, remembering, their children,” said Brecka Putnam, an Ultimate Hike staff member.

To learn more about how you can get involved in the 2015 Ultimate Hike, please visit www.ultimatehike.org/tt15 or contact ultimatehike@curesearch.org.