MilesForMeals: Boone, NC

Saturday, March 24, 2012

Boone, NC

A lot has happened since my last post! After a few long 20 mile days, we had a short six mile day into Erwin, TN. After getting in around 11:30, we had time for quick showers before catching the shuttle into town from the hostel. We ate a huge, delicious mexican lunch, and then walked a few miles to the old movie theater downtown. We saw The Lorax, and then walked back to find a grocery store for resupply and to wait for the shuttle back to the hostel. We made a huge salad for dinner and watched another movie; the vegetables were delicious! We left Erwin and hiked four 20 mile days to get close to Boone, NC where one of the hikers in our group is from. On the way we climbed over Roan Mountain, one of the highest points on the trail. After Roan are a series of beautiful grassy ridges and balds with amazing views. Aaron's mother picked us up at the end of our fourth day and drove us back to their home near Boone. What a beautiful place! They prepared an amazing dinner of salmon and salad for us, and we stayed in an amazon cabin on their property. Yesterday we hiked 26 miles with only day packs by dropping off cars, which is called "slack-packing." We came back to the cabin afterwards for showers and comfortable beds. Today or tomorrow we will hike the remaining fifteen miles to Virginia, depending on whether we decide to take a rest day here in Boone.

3 comments:

AnonymousMarch 27, 2012 at 11:36 AM
Glad things are going well. People are asking me about you and good to tell them all is good. Tell them of your blog but dont seem to take the time. They are missing some great picture.
Robert Z
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AnonymousMarch 27, 2012 at 5:20 PM
It's so much fun to follow your adventures. We are so grateful for all that you are doing for Yellowstone. I think I'm learning as much as our students are. Great photos! Thanks for sharing! Kristy L
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AnonymousMarch 28, 2012 at 8:44 PM
Hi, Clay! So glad MacKenz posted your site. Love the photos, especially high mt granite slabs. Yum! Hope your feet are dry, your hands are warm, your belly is comfortably full...blah, blah. I think you picked a good spring for this. Post some wildflower meadows!
Michael and Maggie send love, too...Jenny B
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About this project

In February of 2012, I will embark on a five month trek from Springer Mountain, Georgia, to Mount Katahdin, Maine along the entirety of the Appalachian Trail to benefit Yellowstone Academy. Yellowstone was created in July 2001, for the purpose of establishing a Christian private school exclusively serving low-income children in Houston’s inner city. Yellowstone was founded on the belief that, through quality education, children living in poverty can transcend their circumstances and grow up to become responsible, productive adults. The school exclusively serves children from very low-income families with a program that provides and nurtures the educational, spiritual, social, and practical resources that every person needs to succeed in life.

Listed below is the profile of the 320 students and their families that were served by Yellowstone in 2010-2011:

 100% of admissions from low-income families

 87% from families living in poverty

 $8,088: Median family annual income

 93% live in single parent households

 95% of students are African American

Although many take it for granted, there are those living in Houston, in the shadow of downtown, who are not sure where their next meal will come from. Yellowstone serves these children. They live in extreme poverty and need a school like Yellowstone to provide them with the resources they need to thrive. The School Meal Program is the largest single item in the budget, other than salaries. Here is a breakdown of the costs associated with the meal program for the 2011-2012 academic year:

 Total Cost of Meals Program: $374,046.00

 Average annual cost per student: $1,002.80

 Average cost per student per day: $5.45

I encourage you to help me make a very real difference in the lives of the children enrolled at Yellowstone Academy by making a generous donation to this cause. 100% of the proceeds from the hike will benefit student meals at Yellowstone. Each donation is fully tax-deductible under Yellowstone’s 501(c) 3 status, and all donors will have a tax receipt verifying their generous donation to Yellowstone Academy returned to them as quickly as possible. If you would like to make a donation to support this important cause, please make checks out to “Yellowstone Academy” with “Miles for Meals” in the memo line and send to 1126 Riverbend, Houston, TX 77063. Donations can also be online through a secure link here. Please don’t hesitate to contact me with any questions you may have. Anything you are willing to donate will be greatly appreciated, as no amount is too small.

Saturday, March 24, 2012

Boone, NC

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