Amara and I are organizing the 2024 Trek for a Dream to raise awareness and funds for childhood cancer research at Children's Hospital Colorado.  My childhood girlfriends Kristi Reidy and Stephanie McGee are joining me on this year's trek. 

Childhood cancer is NOT rare - every day in the U.S., 47 children (0-19 years old) are diagnosed with cancer, with 1 out of every 285 children being diagnosed by age 20 in the U.S.  On February 20, 2020, Amara was one of those 47 children being diagnosed with B cell ALL.  Amara finished treatment July 1st, 2022 almost 2 1/2 years from diagnosis. 

Amara is thriving today because of cancer research.  Unfortunately, less than 4% of federal cancer research funding goes towards childhood cancer research (National Cancer Institute, 2021).  This lack of funding is not acceptable for these children that have their entire lives ahead of them.  

The journey of childhood cancer is one no family should endure. To say it is difficult would not do justice to what these children and their families experience. If anyone has ever spent time on the 7th floor at Children's Hospital Colorado at the Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders, no further explanation is needed. To get off that elevator and to see so many children receiving chemotherapy, radiation and other treatments is beyond heartbreaking. Every family on the 7th floor deserves to hear, "Your child will be cured because we have treatments available that work." Unfortunately, not all parents hear these words. And even worse, some families hear that there are no treatment options for survival.

We are hiking the Camino del Santiago from Porto, Portugal to Santiago, Spain (~175 miles) to raise awareness and funds for childhood cancer research.  The first Trek for a Dream was in 2022 after Amara finished her treatments hiking the Colorado Trail from Denver to Durango. 

Please support Kristi, Stephanie and I with a tax-deductible donation today or by creating your own personal page to raise awareness and funds for childhood cancer research.  Your "trek" can be any trail near you.  Plan your trek (walk/hike) of any distance, create your own personal page, and share with friends, family and on social media.