Hairy Goes Hiking

I just received one of the most meaningful e-mails ever…and even if you don’t count Spam and all those e-mails from some Nigerian woman whose rich husband died requiring her to find a trustworthy US bank account to deposit her money in…I’ve still received quite a few in my day (which, I might add, is not yet over).

I met Jenny last year while visiting the United States, and though I don’t remember the encounter, she wrote saying she hiked the Grand Canyon a few months back. Why? As a member of the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, she hiked to raise awareness and money in honor of her grandfather, a member of the hcl club. She passed my name to her coaching mentor, and this year a group of hikers will hike in honor of a group of hcl patients, my name being among them. I don’t think I have ever been so honored. Sure, I won Best Bandsman in 11th grade, a couple of state awards for some awesome tuba playing, I was ALMOST classman of the year at college and won an honorable mention (read: t-shirt 2 sizes too small!) from C-Span for an article on Gerald Ford (yes, that Gerald Ford), but this goes above and beyond.

Seriously, I’ve never been so honored and so humbled. A group I’ve never met is taking leukemia seriously enough to “hike a difference”. If Argentina were closer to the Grand Canyon, I’d give them all hugs.
Jennifer’s grandfather, who eventually died of cancer, went into full remission from hcl. With groups like this working to make a difference, I know that other leukemia and lymphoma victims will benefit as well.