Hiking with High Hopes

Posted: 21 September 2001

BOSTON, MA--Six young people, ages 18-28, are hiking the 4,400 miles along the Eastern Continental Trail to raise awareness about poverty and hunger. Their journey, when completed, will have taken them from Key West to Quebec, a feat that has only been accomplished twice before. This will also be the youngest and largest group to hike the Eastern Continental Trail and will include the first female hiker to complete the entire trail.

Since they left Key West on January 1st of this year, the hikers have been dedicated to raising $1 million dollars for the humanitarian organization Oxfam America. According to co-organizer Dakota LaCroix, "We felt like we had to do our part to educate ourselves and then spread the word. We strongly believe in Oxfam's philosophy of working with the public to fight the root causes of social injustice. We knew we had to help spread Oxfam's message--that there are lasting solutions to these problems - and this is our way of helping."

Already halfway through their hike, the group now is leaving Roanoke, Virginia and plans to be in Washington D.C. by the fourth of July. They report that they have encountered much generosity and kindness, as well as a willingness to hear about their cause. LaCroix confides, "We've had so many amazing, unique and truly weird experiences that we could've only had doing what we're doing. We feel really blessed."

The group overcame an amazing challenge when one of the hikers, Jeff Smith, developed tendinitis in his foot and was unable to continuing walking. Determined to finish the hike together, the group did not give up and decided they would push him in a wheelchair so that he could finish the hike. Although this setback has caused them to take to the road as much as possible, this has only opened up more opportunity for reaching out to people along the way.

The group's adventures began on their first night in Key West, Florida, when they camped out with about twenty homeless kids. Since then, their unique experiences have included meeting a MENSA member who carves violins by simply "cutting away everything that doesn't belong," the actor who played Dennis on the television show "Dennis the Menace," and reformed members of the Ku Klux Klan. They have also worked on an American Indian reservation, on an organic farm, and spent an evening learning about World War II from an insightful veteran.

Deeply impressed by the tenacity of the group, Oxfam President Raymond C. Offenheiser said, "Poverty and hunger are preventable problems, yet an estimated 793 million people around the world, including 31 million in the United States continue to be plagued by hunger. These young people are proving that these problems are solvable, but only if we all do our part."

Co-organizer Mike Smith felt a connection to their mission almost immediately. "The feeling of having nowhere to stay, of needing money for food, was an enlightening experience for us. We thought we understood the dynamics of poverty, but until we had that very literal experience, we didn't feel it on a gut level. Now I have a whole new dedication to this cause."

Oxfam America, is a Boston-based international development agency that works in partnership with grassroots organizations in more than 30 countries, including the United States, to find lasting solutions to hunger, poverty, and social injustice.

If you've met the Hikers or want to support their efforts, donations can be made to: Oxfam America PO Box 1745 Boston, MA 02105-1745 CODE: 7331B (denotes Hike for Hope donation).

For more information on Hike for Hope, please visit hikeforhope2001.org or call co-founders Mike Smith and Dakota LaCroix at 800-856-2767. For more information about Oxfam America, please visit oxfamamerica.org or call Adrienne Leicester Smith at 617-728-2406.