Just take a hike

Newburg woman walks to help battle cancers

Friday, Feb. 16, 2007

Click here to enlarge this photo Staff Photo By Gary Smith Sarah Keddell is raising money for Hike for Discovery, a fundraiser geared to helping people with leukemia and other cancers. E-Mail This Article | Print This Story Click here to enlarge this photo

Through the fundraising program Hike for Discovery, Keddell hopes to raise funds for The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. The program has 30 individuals who are preparing for a hike at the Grand Canyon May 10 to 13, but prior to that hike, participants will need to raise at least $4,800 for the cause.

Currently, Keddel has raised $550 from family and friends.

‘‘I do feel a little weird asking for this much money,” she confided. ‘‘But if you can give to a good cause and learn something in the process, why not?”

Ultimately, the program will raise funds to help discover cures for leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin’s disease and myleoma.

‘‘This might sound selfish,” Keddell paused. ‘‘I just like to hike and stay fit, so I figured why not help someone in the process.”

Keddell doesn’t have a direct connection to the diseases, but she’s still committed to learning about leukemia and lymphoma, and how she can help benefit the cause.

‘‘Unfortunately, it seems as though almost everyone in the world has a personal connection to blood cancer, or to any form of cancer, for that matter,” Lauren Allen, campaign manager for Hike for Discovery wrote in an e-mail. ‘‘While many of our hikers do have personal connections, our entire ‘Trek Team’ is hiking and fundraising in honor of our ‘Hero Hiker’ Gary Todd.”

Todd, 57, of Crofton, said in a recent e-mailed interview, ‘‘I feel very grateful that these individuals are weathering (no pun intended) the storm to get ready to hike in the elements to raise funds for cancer patients.”

He is still receiving treatments every 90 days, but encourages hikers with a weekly message.

Last week’s letter read, ‘‘Last week you began your Hike for Discovery adventure fundraising journey with your first hike at Patapsco Valley State Park. I was with you in spirit ... For when I was stricken with cancer, hiking was not one of the first words out of my mouth. I believe the words of death, fairness and no one in my family had battled cancer, were uttered under my breath. But cancer is not an automatic death sentence as it has been in the past. Through fundraising programs of The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society for research and awareness, a positive attitude and faith, one can become a David combating Goliath ...

‘‘We who are cancer patients appreciate what you are doing and wish you the best as you can enjoy the great outdoors.”

To prepare for the Grand Canyon, hike participants must first embark upon a 15-week journey through Maryland (they are currently two weeks into the journey).

Hike leader Patti Harden said to prepare for the weekends in state parks, six days a week for 15 weeks are used for training. She said the trails are of different distances, which will give people the chance to see places they might never have ventured and to learn about what Maryland offers in hikes.

‘‘I am motivated to help these people reach their goals of being able to hike in the Grand Canyon,” Harden wrote in an e-mail. ‘‘I have been coaching for the Maryland chapter’s Team in Training Program for six years. I have been amazed by people I have worked with and to see what they can accomplish. Not only by being able to complete in an endurance event, but by the relationships they form and also by how much funds they have raised to be able to give people with blood related cancers a chance to live ...”

Keddell said if it wasn’t for her dad, David, she would have never been interested in hiking and discovering new things.

She started hiking when she was 10 and living in Maine, where she grew up. With some years of experience under her belt, having served in the military and hiked with her father, she expects great things to come out of her new journey — despite the cold winter weather.

‘‘I’ve exhausted my friends and family thus far,” Keddell said. ‘‘But if I could endure the cold weather at 8:30 a.m. on the weekends, hopefully others will gain an interest in this cause and want todonate, too.”

E-Mail Stacy Sneed at ssneed@somdnews.com