Hiking for wishes

At a Make-A-Wish Trailblaze Challenge meeting two years ago, Laura Gibson heard the story of a child whose optic nerve issues were causing her to lose her sight. After hearing that story and learning there were 300 kids waiting to receive their wish, she knew she had to do something. 

Gibson, a Hoover resident and attorney, signed up for the Trailblaze challenge that evening, and she’s now a repeat participant.

“When you hear real stories about real people, your social conscience makes you ask, ‘What can I do?’” said Gibson, who is a casual hiker. “I immediately signed up for the challenge, but I would have walked across America to raise money for those kids.”

The program provides participants an opportunity for adventure, fitness and fun, while fundraising to grant wishes for Alabama children fighting critical illnesses. Valerie Gerber, director of development and marketing for Make-A-Wish, said “there’s a reason why we have more than 50 hikers returning for their second or third year, and the program is perfect for people of all shapes, sizes and backgrounds.”

Signing up comes with a dual commitment: hiking 26 miles and raise a minimum of $2,500. Gerber also asked Gibson to be on the regional council for the Birmingham Make-A-Wish foundation last year and at her first meeting, she was elected chairperson of the committee.

“Sitting on the council was really phenomenal and got me knee deep, not just with the Trailblaze Challenge, but also the Rivals for Wishes fundraiser,” Gibson said. “Last year, I was asked to be a member of the board of directors, which was a no-brainer for me, because I was already all in.”

This year, Gibson is gearing up for her third Trailblaze Challenge and is one of over 200 hikers registered to participate. This time around, she is wearing many hats: event participant, hike leader and board member. During the 14-week training program, which began on Jan. 26, Gibson has led participants on weekly hikes to gear up for the main event. 

“There are a lot of new people, including some who haven’t hiked before, so I’m giving lots of encouragement,” she said. 

The Trailblaze Challenge will be held two May weekends in the Talladega National Forest and follow the Pinhoti Trail, beginning in Oxford and ending near Cheaha. Gibson will participate May 4 and said any casual hiker can follow the training regimen and be ready for the hike. 

The Trailblaze Challenge takes place in three locations throughout the state, including Huntsville and Mobile, with over 200 people registered for the event. The people that Gibson has been working with on this event over the years have become like family. 

“What I find each year is that I get to meet phenomenal people and we stay friends,” she said. “It’s because we are like-minded. Someone who wants to hike 26.3 miles for a cause is a unique individual.”

Gibson describes the Make-A-Wish staff as “amazing people who don’t care about themselves but instead put everything into the organization.” 

“They put in so many more hours than the average person does at their job,” Gibson said. “I can’t say that enough, and they don’t get heralded like they should. They hired a brilliant new CEO, Tracey Smith, who started in January and is going to participate in the hike.”

Erin Slay-Wilson, marketing director for Make-A-Wish, said the goal for this year’s event is to raise $450,000 and hikers were already at 40 percent in mid-March. 

“There are over 250 Alabama kids waiting on wishes,” Slay-Wilson said. “The Trailblaze Challenge will help us grant approximately 50 wishes this year.”

The same child that Gibson heard speak at the first meeting two years ago was at a recent meeting and had lost all her vision, but she did get her wish of going to Disney and seeing Mickey and Minnie Mouse. Gibson said that made a huge impact on her and why she continues to work to raise money for the organization. 

“It is relevant, and what we do is important to the kids. That’s when it hit me full force that we are really impacting lives,” she said.