Written by Brecka Putnam, Senior Regional Manager, Development
Jeff Busby is lacing up his hiking boots to train for the Ultimate Hike, a one-day, 28-mile trek on the Foothills Trail. It’s a long way, but for Busby, the distance is not as significant as the reason he hikes.
“On January 25, 2011, we heard those words that no parent ever wants to hear – your child has cancer,” recalls Busby. “The weeks to come were a blur.”
Jeff’s son, Will Busby, was diagnosed with acute lymphocytic leukemia when he was 4 years old. Will overcame three and half years of chemotherapy and today is an active 10-year-old. He struggles through some of the common long-term side effects of treatment. Beating the odds, Will has grown into a strong young man.
It was during those first few weeks after Will’s diagnosis that Jeff learned about CureSearch for Children’s Cancer. In addition to funding cancer research, CureSearch provides tools to help families cope with cancer. The money raised by people participating in the Ultimate Hike help pay for these services.
To honor his son and his battle with cancer, Jeff Busby has racked up quite a few miles on the Ultimate Hike trails. In addition to trekking the last six local hikes on the Foothills Trail, he has traveled to West Virginia and northern Minnesota to complete Ultimate Hikes, and was a safety and logistics volunteer on an Ultimate Hike in Indiana.
Busby believes anyone can take on the Ultimate Hike. “Hiking 28 miles in one day is a challenge, but the training program makes it very doable. While hiking makes for a great experience, it’s ultimately all about raising funds for research,” he said. Busby is also an active part of training and supporting new hikers and getting them ready for a grueling but life-changing event.
Busby is recruiting the 2017 class of Ultimate Hikers. People interested in learning more should go here to learn about the event on April 29, 2017.
In its seventh year, CureSearch’s Ultimate Hike is the original 28-mile endurance fundraiser on the Foothills Trail, and the only endurance hiking fundraiser to fight cancer, the number one disease killer of children.
To find an Ultimate Hike near you, visit our website.
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