Starting April 1st, I will set out on a 5-month long backpacking trip along the Appalachian Trail or the A.T. for short. I am proud to be hiking in honor of my grandmother, Susan Dart McCutcheon, who died from complications due to Scleroderma. This is a connective tissue disease that causes excessive collagen dposits in the skin causing the skin to harden. It is a painful, immobilizing disease that can result in fatal complications. I want my hike to be more than a tribute to her memory and I am asking you to sponsor me with a fixed amount donation to the Scleroderma Foundation so that patients suffering from this disease will have access to the treatment they need, and the researchers can find a cure. I am keeping a blog with weekly updates form the trail, so that you may follow my progress along the 2,175-mile journey and continue to be a part of the fight against Scleroderma.

http://johnmccutcheon.wordpress.com
           
If you would like to donate by check, please make checks payable to:

The Scleroderma Foundation
300 Rosewood Drive Suite 105
Danvers, MA
01923
(Write "john mccutcheon" on the memo line)

Thank you for joining me on this path.