It has been a slow and steady climb, and while I sincerely hope that the mountain analogies have not yet run their course, I simply can’t think of a better one to sum everything up.  About three years ago this spring we started meeting in a local New Jersey Starbucks to discuss the far fetched idea of aiding ALS patients by climbing mountains and making movies.

            Less than three weeks ago we premiered that movie at a local New Jersey theater at long last, to a packed crowd and resounding applause thanks to all the individuals who shared our vision and supported us along an arduous and often discouraging journey.  In that time, a far fetched idea has grown into a powerful fundraising tool in the hands of a unique non-profit determined to wield it as an agent of change in the face of ALS, a disease far more daunting than the journey required to get here.

            So while it is hard to ignore that there is a lot further to go to take this effort to its next level, it is hard not to pause for a brief moment of reflection (not to mention relief) for having made it to this one.  Call it taking in your first view of the summit after finally reaching a break in the trees, it’s that moment where you are permitted to briefly disregard the work still left ahead to bask in the final goal at last being in sight.

            My time with HARK, Hope on the Horizon, and the incredible individuals it has allowed me to meet has been without question the greatest experience of my life to date.  It’s also nice to feel like all those years of adventuring (otherwise referred to as irresponsibility by most standards) has at last led to the opportunity to contribute something worthwhile to the world around me. 

            The only thing more exciting than seeing that summit in the distance is heading back into the trees to stand on it, all the while imagining what it will lead to next for HARK, and more importantly those facing ALS.

            Through this blog series I will share my journey through this amazing adventure and beyond.