Photo courtesy of Erin Slay-Wilson.
Tracy Bennett-Smith and her husband, Steve, hold a sign committing to taking part in the Trailblaze Challenge, which helps raise money for Make-A-Wish Alabama.
The farthest that new Make-A-Wish Alabama CEO Tracy Bennett-Smith had hiked before signing up for this year’s Trailblaze Challenge was 3 miles.
“I’m so intimidated by it,” Bennett-Smith, a Vestavia Hills resident, said of the 26.3-mile day hike challenge.
Bennett-Smith, who took over the executive position Jan. 2, said she was inspired by fellow hikers to take part in the challenge, which raises money for Make-A-Wish Alabama. The organization uses the money to grant wishes to children suffering from critical illnesses all over the state.
Each hiker commits to raising $2,500and hikes 26.3 miles, the equivalent of a marathon, on one of two Saturdays: May 4 and May 18, at Talladega National Forest on the Pinhoti Trail.
The goal is to raise $450,000 this year, which will hopefully help the organization grant 156 wishes this year, Bennett-Smith said.
Bennett-Smith previously worked in other nonprofits, including the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, and while she hasn’t done something like this challenge in the past, she’s preparing along with the other hikers. She said she wanted to set the tone as the organization’s leader.
Hikers are given a training calendar and advised on how many hikes and how many miles they should walk before the challenge, and organized hike weekends are held every other Saturday, in addition to mandatory meetings they attend, Bennett-Smith said.
“I was so moved when I started to learn about the program,” Bennett-Smith said. “It’s a significant impact.”
Bennett-Smith and her husband have lived in Vestavia for more than 10 years, and their oldest child is an alumnus of Vestavia schools. She’s spent significant time in nonprofits, and said while it’s a job, it’s a fulfilling one.
“It’s a job, but it’s a career [through which] you can actually make a difference in the life of your neighbors,” Bennett-Smith said.
Make-A-Wish’s mission is to grant “wishes” to children with critical illnesses, allowing them to go to Disney World or meet athletes or favorite movie stars, to bring some joy into their difficult lives, Bennett-Smith said.
“They don’t have a lot of joy in their life because they’re bound by their illness, and we’re able to provide joy, not only for them, but to their parents,” Bennett-Smith said.
When a wish is granted, Bennett-Smithsaid it’s “unbelievable” to see the joy on children’s faces.
Brooks Gant, also from Vestavia, has participated in the challenge for two years, and is gearing up for his third event.
“I honestly did not know what to expect when I signed up for the first Trailblaze Challenge in 2017,” Gant said. “I remember seeing a Make-A-Wish Trailblaze Challenge billboard one day coming home from work and thinking ‘I needed to look into this.’”
Gant was inspired by a desire to help others and his love for the outdoors.
“I have always enjoyed the outdoors so it sounded like the perfect opportunity to do something I love and also give back to our community,” Gant said.
Gant said Make-A-Wish is great in helping those participating raise money. Being a part of the event helps Gant, a father himself, give back to less-fortunate families.
“My wife and I are truly blessed with two amazing children,” Gant said. “So as a parent, I can't imagine what these children and their families are going through on a day-to-day basis. I've had the pleasure of meeting several children that have been a part of the Make-A-Wish program and they are so strong, so brave, so full of joy. ... If we can grant them a wish, give them a special day that they will never forget, that hopefully it will give them a little hope and they will continue to fight. I have always said, the hiking is the easy part. These children and their families are truly remarkable and inspiring.”
For more information about the Trailblaze Challenge and to make a donation, click here.
