Eight-year old Brody, who learned to ride a bike earlier this year, rode the whole of the towpath and the Great Allegheny Passage rail trail with his dad, Dan. His final 50 miles was his TowpathGO! challenge. He raised $6,430. “On the trail this summer, Brody and I have laughed together, cried together, physically pushed ourselves together, and celebrated together,” his dad recalled. Read more about Brody’s ride here: https://secure.givelively.org/donate/c-o-canal-trust-inc/towpathgo/brody-reppe
Simon Barber has been an avid user of the C&O Canal for more than 30 years. With this 65th birthday approaching, he challenged himself to retrace the footsteps of Justice William O. Douglas who hiked all 184.5 miles of the towpath from Cumberland to Georgetown as part of a campaign to stop the C&O Canal from being paved over to create a highway. Simon took 11 days to complete his hike, arriving at Mile 0 a day after his birthday. To his supporters, who contributed $3,155, Simon wrote: “I have to admit there were moments early on when my unseasoned feet pleaded with me to call the whole thing off, but your generosity in support of this spectacular ribbon of nature and history kept me going.” Click here for more on Simon’s towpath walk: https://secure.givelively.org/donate/c-o-canal-trust-inc/towpathgo/simon-barber
Francis Grant-Suttie, a current Trust board director, and Mike Mitchell, a former board chair, challenged themselves to section hike the whole towpath together, reaching Cumberland on September 23. Together, Francis and Mike raised a whopping $25,407. In embarking on this adventure, Francis and Mike said they felt “a special responsibility” to raise funds to help the Trust continue its robust support for the C&O Canal National Historical Park in the time of COVID. “Since March, 3.2 million people have flocked to the Park seeking respite from the pandemic, 22 percent more than over the same period last year, increasing wear and tear on the Park’s infrastructure,” Francis said. “And while the Trust is working hard to provide extra support to the Park, it has been forced to cancel Park After Dark, its annual gala benefit, which typically provides 20 percent of its budget. Under those circumstances, the least Mike and I can do is “walk the walk.” Read more about Francis and Mike’s walk here: https://secure.givelively.org/teams/c-o-canal-trust-inc/towpathgo/two-for-the-towpath
Click HERE to read more about TowpathGO! and follow all of those who have signed up to participate. It’s not too late to set up your own challenge!
