The summer is the best season of the year—especially in Seattle, Washington where the rain temporarily stops, the sun starts to shine and the breezes are cool. I may be a bit biased as a native Seattleite but the weather really is perfect. And the summer sunshine seems to bring out good moods, weekday barbeques and an opportunity to explore the great outdoors. The outdoor scene in the greater Seattle area is exquisite because we have, although we are not limited to, the Olympic Mountains, Snoqualmie Pass, Olympic National Park, Stevens Pass, Mount Baker as well as numerous hiking trails that display picturesque lakes, rivers, mountains and overall forestry.

Brian Hackworth, a Seattleite and a senior from Washington State University, is taking advantage of the Seattle summer weather and utilizing what is essentially his “backyard” by hiking through it. But he’s not just hiking one mountain; he’s taking on Washington State. And not just for the sake of hiking but to raise awareness and money for the Children’s Hospital and Regional Medical Center of Seattle. He is passionate about this cause because he feels that children deserve to get the medical care they need. Money raised through this event will go towards helping children who otherwise would not get treated. So far he has raised $1,870

Brian is tackling the northern part of the Pacific Crest Trail which is 2,663.5 miles long—it starts in Baja, California (Mexican border in Southern California) and ends at the Canadian border in northern Washington. He is hiking the Washington part of the Pacific Crest Trail which is a total of 508.4 miles. He started on July 2nd (at the Oregon-Washington border) and is scheduled to complete it (in Canada) around August 12th 2008.

See his week by week itinerary and/or pledge forms to help him raise more funds. He has also set up a firstgiving.com page so it’s easy to donate online. If you have some time this summer, take advantage of the sun and check out the great outdoors. Raise a little support for a cause you care about and start something! If you’re new to the whole fundraising scene, start small. A great opportunity is the World Run Day coming up on November 9th 2008. All you have to do is run; regardless of where you are, how far you run or how much money you raise. Set a goal, start your own firstgiving.com page or contribute towards someone else’s fundraising efforts.