Pikes Peak Challenge

Marilyn and I will be participating in the Pikes Peak Challenge Hike For Brain Injury Awareness on Saturday, September 6, 2008. We will be hiking Barr Trail on 14,110 foot Pikes Peak. When we finish, we will have hiked 13 miles and 7,400 vertical feet to the summit to join other hikers and supporters in celebration of brain injury awareness and prevention.

In the United States a Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) occurs every 15 seconds. Based on national estimates, there are more annual incidences of Traumatic Brain Injuries than Multiple Sclerosis, Spinal Cord Injuries, HIV/AIDS and Breast Cancer put together. It is estimated that 17.8% of our American Soldiers are returning home with a TBI.

In this country there are 3 million persons living with breast cancer and public spending is $295 per person, 900,000 persons living with HIV/AIDS and public spending is $18,111 per person but there are 5.3 million persons living with disability from TBI and public spending is $2.55 per person! Research into treatment of TBI receives less than one penny of every Federal dollar spent on medical research.

If you would like to support our endeavors to make a difference, you can donate directly to us online at https://www.pikespeakchallenge.com/donation.asp?HikerID=24. This is a special event of the Brain Injury Association of Colorado and may print a tax deductible receipt for your donation. All proceeds go to the BAI of Colorado.

You can also join us on the hike by registering at https://www.pikespeakchallenge.com/register.asp

Our team name is fittingly 'MariMules'.