5 Hikers Hit the Canyon Trail

By COLlive reporter

As the bright stars signaling the end of Shabbos emerged in the desert skies high above Flagstaff, Arizona, the five members of the Hike 4 Friendship team began their last preparations for the challenge that lay ahead.

After months of training, the group will today begin its hike through the Grand Canyon in support of the Friendship Circle.

After flying in to Phoenix on Thursday, the dedicated group was graciously hosted for Shabbos by Rabbi and Mrs. Dovie and Chaya Shapiro of Chabad of Flagstaff, a scenic city located eighty miles away from the iconic Grand Canyon.

Inspired by the hikers’ passion and the Friendship Circle’s mission to assist children with special needs and their families, all of the Shabbos food was generously sponsored by Flagstaff community member, Mrs. Ivy Kellog.

Hike 4 Friendship seeks to raise awareness for the Friendship Circle, an international organization dedicated to assisting children with disabilities and their families. The Friendship Circle, a division of the Shluchim Office in New York, is today the fastest growing Jewish organization for children with special needs.

The group will be carrying a GPS tracking device, allowing family members and well-wishers alike the ability to follow in real-time Team Friendship’s progress through the rugged Canyon – chart their progress here.

Wearing 40-pound backpacks, and with no electricity, working phones, roads, paved paths, beds or buildings, the group is ready for five days in the magnificent and wild splendor of the Grand Canyon.

To learn more or donate, visit Hike4Friendship.com.