Join Living Journeys 25th Summit Hike: Ascend With The Crested Butte Nonprofit Dedicated To Ensuring No One Fights Cancer Alone
Eric Larsen is more than a professional polar adventurer. The Crested Butte resident is known for his zest for life and for being the first person to travel to the South Pole, North Pole and the top of Mt. Everest within a 365-day period. His relentless strength is evident and played a crucial role in his cancer survival. But Larsen told me he could not have done it without his team: Living Journeys.
Living Journeys is a nonprofit, community-centered organization, supporting those affected by cancer physically and philosophically in Gunnison County. For nearly two years, Larsen and his family of four were one of these families. Today, Larsen serves as a board member and proud survivor.
“As a self-employed person, when you stop working, the money stops,” Larsen says. “My sponsors dropped me. Living Journeys reached out and supported me and my family financially and emotionally.”
Saturday, July 27, 2024 is a day to not only celebrate people like Larsen, but also support and remember loved ones impacted by cancer. Local residents, visitors, friends, families, coworkers and neighbors come together to climb Mt. Crested Butte. The event is incredibly family friendly, where participants choose their own adventure. Whether you decide to hike or run from the base (9.9 miles round trip), ride the Silver Queen chairlift to the summit (2 miles round trip) or enjoy the breathtaking views from the lift, everyone is putting one foot in front of the other for those who can’t or couldn’t at one point.
Executive director for Living Journeys, Julie Reid, promises “there will be many hugs, tears and high fives. It is a time to come together with that collective energy and to hike to the peak in so many ways.”
There will be a journal at the peak and at the chairlift for participants to take a moment to remember and honor their reasons for supporting Living Journeys. Reid reminds there will be bibs that say, “I summit for,” where you decorate and write down someone you are honoring or a personal message. Following the hike, there will be taco bar lunch served at the base, accompanied by a DJ and art projects presented by Trailhead Children’s Museum.
This event is crucial for the nonprofit's sustainability and its mission to save and nurture lives. From bills to transportation to therapy to out of county lodging to cleaning services to delivered meals, Living Journeys serves as a beacon of hope and a saving grace.
“Cancer does not look the same for everyone,” Reid says. “We provide unique support for every family and individual fighting cancer.”
Larsen compares cancer to a nuclear bomb: everyone who is touched is affected, and often in profoundly different ways. Living Journeys supports individuals throughout their entire cancer journey, addressing mental, emotional, physical, potential end-of-life concerns, as well as family and relationship care.
“This is not something that is always addressed in modern medicine,” Larsen shares. “There are sides of [cancer] that people go through that are just as hard as the physical stuff.”
He emphasizes that this is why Living Journeys is truly one of a kind.
“In a small town, we rely on our neighbors a lot, but that does not mean all the time,” Larsen says. “So, having this organization is super important when someone is going through the most difficult challenge of their entire life.”
Summit and support a truly life-giving organization for $50 for adults and $35 for children 12 years old or younger. Every penny enhances a company striving and succeeding in essential cancer-related assistance and guidance. Meet at the base of Crested Butte at 7 a.m.
“There are scenarios where I am not sure what people would do without Living Journeys,” Reid says. “People have come to rely on us during the fight of their life.”
This spotlight is a sponsored partnership.