by Randy Bass
It’s that time of year again! We are going to join together as TEAM MENSA in the Norwest hike-a-thon for the American Cancer Society (ACS) at South Mountain on February 22nd. This is a moderate walk uphill, with many people bringing their children and even babies in strollers, so I encourage everyone to show up.
By registering through me in time for the team registration deadline of February 7, Friday, you’ll save time and effort, particularly on hike day, as well as being able to get a cool T-shirt with "Greater Phoenix Mensa" printed on the back (destined to become a collector’s item). Remember, if you want to hike at a different time, you needn’t hike with the Mensa group and can still be a member of the Mensa team.
The registration fee is $35, which can either be as a personal contribution or collected from others as pledges. Either way, you need to fill out a registration form and send it to me with a check for the $35 (or $100 for both a T-shirt and a sweatshirt). I’ll drop the registration stuff off at the American Cancer Society right after work on the 7th, so I’d prefer to have it by the 6th. Mail your registration forms to me at 10202 S. 43rd Street, Phoenix, AX 85044. If you think you might miss the deadline but still want to be on the team, call me by Feb. 6th at 496-4960 or at work at 441-6835, and I’ll make sure you’re registered. If you miss the team registration deadline, you can still register as a member of the team, but your T-shirt might or might not be printed with "Greater Phoenix Mensa" on it. Call me.
You can still continue to collect pledges beyond what you turn in with your registration. All pledges collected will count towards prizes, with amounts over $500 earning you a shopping spree at Macy’s department stores.
The money you contribute/collect goes to a great cause, from providing free walkers and shower seats to cancer victims, to funding Camp Sunrise, a summer camp for children with cancer, to financing education and screening programs for everyone, and much, much more.
The main hike is 5 miles long with a 1200 ft. elevation climb, and follows the main road from the park entrance to Dobbins Lookout. There will be free buses to take people back down the mountain after the hike. These buses will be going up at 6:00 A.M. so people can ride the bus up and hike down if they prefer. Or you can hike a shorter, flatter route of 2.5 miles if you prefer not to go the full 5 mike uphill route.
Croissants, orange juice, and coffee will be provided at the start of the hike. There will be water stops along the way, so you needn’t worry about bringing water (do bring sunscreen, though). Vendors will have food and drink for sale at the top. We can either hike back down the Holbert trail (2 miles) or ride one of the buses (the last two years, it took about the same amount of time either way). There will be a festival at the bottom afterwards, with free hot dogs and Coke, as well as more food vendors, a variety of music groups, clowns, mimes, masseurs, and face painting.
We will meet as a group at 7:30 AM at the home of Gene Holmerud and Carol Young to carpool to the event. Their address is 1549 E. Desert Drive. From Baseline Road and 16th Street, travel south on 16th St. 3/4 mile to Desert Drive. Their house is on the southwest corner of 16th St. and Desert Drive, and their phone is 243-6136.
I will have all the T-shirts and badges for the team there, so we can bypass registration. We will carpool to South Mountain from there. We will have a potluck picnic lunch to eat at the covered picnic tables in the festival area after the hike, so bring a dish to share, and we will store the picnic stuff in a car at the bottom until we finish.
Here’s the specs on what you need to know:
Pick up a registration form from me or from any Jack-in-the-Box, or call the ACS at 381-3096, or call me at 496-4960.
Fill out the far right panel "Registration" (be sure you sign the bottom, and include your T-shirt size).
Begin collecting pledges and donations, or make a personal contribution.
Mail the form to me (rather than to the ACS) by Thursday, Feb. 6, at 10202 S. 43rd St., Phoenix, AZ 85044. You must include a $35 registration fee or collected pledges of at least that amount.
You needn’t stop collecting pledges or donations once you’re preregistered, or even after completing the hike. All contributions collected after the preregistration can either be turned in at the registration tables on hike day (a busy place; I don’t recommend it) or mailed to the American Cancer Society at 2929 E. Thomas Road, Phoenix, AZ 85016 by March 21. You only need to include your name with the contributions, so that you can be credited, but please remember to do that.
Show up for the hike, and have a good time. If you’re bringing something for the potluck lunch, remember that hot dogs and Coke are provided free of charge.
If you miss the group and have a need to check on anything at the registration tables, go to the team registration tables and ask for the Greater Phoenix Mensa.
Call me with questions — 496-4960.