My friend Harper Bates was an avid outdoorsman. He was also a total goofball and connoisseur of life. He melded these passions when he hiked the John Muir trail with his wife Amie, and they celebrated his birthday on the summit of Mt Whitney with a twinkie. They both came back from that trip flying high, either from the elixir of the mountain air or the preservatives in that twinkie.
Tragically, it wasn't long afterwards that Harper was diagnosed with ALS. They juggled the ever changing landscape of his disease progression with the demands of their newborn daughter with grace and humility. It was a honor to witness the game of life played at the highest level. Their household always felt welcoming while still keeping it real. He never let ALS define him and he made the best use of his remaining time to say what was important and to do what truly mattered.
August 23rd would have been Harper's 50th birthday. In honor of one of the greats, I will be climbing The Brothers in Olympic National Park with my fellow redhead and Harper aficionado, Jeb Doran. We will be passing through the Valley of the Silent Men, which is so poetically ironic for all those who knew Harper. He used his lifetime allotment of words, and possibly some that others had left unused. The summit affords breathtaking views of the Puget Sound and the Olympic mountains, but most importantly, a fantastic place to indulge in a certain yellow Hostess treat.
I'm participating in Team Challenge ALS to raise funds and awareness to help fight back against this terrible disease. The ALS Association provides much needed patient services resources, funds global, cutting edge research, and much more in order to help those living with ALS right in our community.
Team Challenge ALS is an exciting opportunity for us to work together to support those affected by ALS and to spread awareness of the urgency of our cause and to push for treatments and a cure.
Challenging ALS is important to me. I'm asking for your help. Please make a donation, join my team, or sign up to be a volunteer today.
Prefer to make a donation by check? Click here for a printable donation form!
