Oxfam Trailwalker Japan

Through the day. In the dark. Overnight. Over ten mountains. Across rivers. Around lakes. Through the forest. Under the shadow of Mt. Fuji. Long stretches of open road. Three prefectures. Five cities. 100 km. 48 hours.

On April 23-25, the Fuji Crew will set out to hike 100 kilometers in 48 hours (that's about 62 miles for those metrically challenged)! We're in it for the challenge, the satisfaction of pushing our bodies to the limit. And to help a lot of people along the way. Oxfam Trailwalker has been coined the "world's greatest team challenge to overcome poverty and injustice." We're up for the world's greatest challenge and we hope you're up for helping us achieve our goal! We're just one of 200 teams working toward Oxfam's goal of "a fair world" by doing our part.

Fuji Crew:

L to R: Ashley (Minnesota), Kory (Texas),
Linton (Christchurch, New Zealand) and John (Alabama)

This goal isn't a small one and requires a lot of training. We've done some practice hikes on the trail (I posted an earlier blog about this and pictures on my flickr) and are planning them more frequently the next two months. We've been running in our school marathons, going to the gym, walking to school, and doing what we can to get into shape for the arduous task ahead.

Oxfam International is a group of 14 non-governmental organizations working with over 3,000 partners in around 100 countries to find lasting solutions to poverty and injustice. The money you give will truly change people's lives. Money from Trailwalker Japan goes toward emergency aid in the Congo, schools in the Philippines, overcoming hunger in Cambodia, women's rights in India, fighting AIDS in South Africa, and many more. See the full details on how the money raised from this event is used here.

What can you do to help?

Each team has to raise around $1400 minimum to do the hike. The money goes to the causes above. A lot of people in America haven't heard of Oxfam, but it's one of the leading organizations in the world. Any money you can donate would be much appreciated and put toward a good cause. I know many people don't have a lot of money to spare these days, but even $5 or $10 can go a long way in the countries above and you'd be helping me reach my goal for the team! You can donate online with a credit or debit card on our team page: original.justgiving.com/fujicrew. Thanks in advance for your support!

Will keep you updated on future practice hikes here. This Friday I'll be doing an all night hike to prepare for the race, as we'll be hiking through two days and one and half nights!!