Learn about Make-A-Wish Alabama’s mission to help critically ill children plus details of the 2025 Trailblaze Challenge fundraising hike at a free information session for UAH faculty, staff and students on Thursday, Jan. 23, at noon in the Nursing Building, Room 205A. Please register for the session at alabamatrailblaze.org. 

You can also meet two Trailblaze veterans – Dr. Jennifer Bail, associate professor in the College of Nursing, and Laurel Long, chief human resources officer, who are co-captains of UAH’s 2025 Trailblaze Challenge Team. (Read more about their 2024 exploits and why they took the challenge.)

The Trailblaze Challenge will take place over two weekends, May 2-4 and 16-18, on the Pinhoti Trail in Talladega National Forest. Participants choose one weekend to hike 26.3 miles in one day. The deadline to register is Jan. 29.

“There’s no better way to kick off the new year than by challenging yourself to grow and give back,” said Lacy Fitzpatrick, North Alabama development manager for Make-A-Wish Alabama. “With 76 children in North Alabama waiting for wishes, the Trailblaze Challenge offers an opportunity for self-discovery while contributing to something truly meaningful. Our info session at UAH, along with others in Huntsville and Athens, is the perfect first step to begin this inspiring adventure.”

For 12 weeks, hikers will train and fundraise with others across the state, all while learning more about the mission of Make-A-Wish Alabama. Hikers will receive expert-led training sessions, and participants can count on a high-energy support crew to cheer them on every step of the way. This year’s goal is to raise $1 million to help grant life-changing wishes to children battling critical illnesses across Alabama.

More than 1,500 hikers have participated in the Trailblaze Challenge over the past eight years, raising $5.8 million. Find out more at alabamatrailblaze.org.

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