Walking for Project Africa
This story begins with a photo in the September 2003 issue of The Smithsonian, a brilliant green hillside and a track running through it in Yorkshire, England. The accompanying article describes a 'walk' named the 'Coast to Coast', stretching from the Irish Sea to the North Sea, one hundred and ninety miles across English countryside. I wanted to be there.I'd just completed a solo, 7 day, 65 mile walk in Scotland, St. Cuthbert's Way. Although I'd started and completed the walk on my own, there were days when I had companions on the path. Every one of them was using their walking holiday to raise money for a nonprofit organization. The 'Yorkshire Ladies', a group of four veteran walkers of a certain age, became my particular guardian angels. Millicent, Mildred, Ann and Pauline were walking for their local Children's Hospice and a radio station was reporting on their progress.
Fast forward to the summer of 2006. An opportunity arose to join three friends also interested in walking the Coast to Coast. The Over-the-Hill Hiking Group was formed as plans were made for a walk in June of 2007.
I was planning to pursue my dream and I knew that I wanted to support a bigger vision- assisting the children of the world who are living with AIDS and HIV until a cure is found.
Heres the pitch, friends. For every dollar you donate in support of my walk, half will support Project Africa, an outreach project of Food for Thought, the AIDS Food Bank in Sonoma County. Project Africa is providing funds for the Mt. Sinai Centre in Namibia which in turn provides milk and nutritional support for infants and children with AIDS. Proper nutrition is necessary for medication to be effective. The other half of all money raised will support the Children's Pantry, a new program at Food For Thought AIDS Food Bank, which provides weekly groceries for children of HIV/AIDS infected parents. I've volunteered at FFT for twelve years and counting. The dedication and love the volunteers and staff offer the clients has captured my heart.
My goal is to raise $100 for every mile I walk. Pick your mile, your half mile, quarter mile, or your 14 mile day. Will it be climbing the fells of the Lake District or striding across the Yorkshire moors? All donations are gratefully accepted.
This walk will pose quite a physical challenge for me and your support will strengthen my resolve when the hills seem steep, the miles too long, or the rain unrelenting.
Thank you for supporting the Walking for Project Africa journey,
Connie Beall