Patten church hosts fund-raising hiker

By Deborah Rafford
Special to the Pioneer Times
David Green Jr. came down off Mt. Katahdin on Aug. 21, after hiking over 2,100 miles across the Appalachian Trail. A get-together at the Patten Methodist Church was the scene of a meet-and-greet with a light luncheon for the hiker and his family and support group from Macon, Ga.
    At the tender age of 26, Green is breaking the $100,000 mark of his quest to raise money for The Methodist Home for Children and Youth in Macon. As a project to make Eagle Scout, Green volunteered at the home that took in kids from middle school to high school.
After graduating from high school in 2002, Green bicycled 4,500 miles across America from Seattle to Savannah with family friend Peter Rightmyer, who is experienced in cross-country bicycling. His first trip out netted him approximately $32,000 in donations.
For most people, that would have been enough. But not for Green, who has since done two more fund-raisers. In 2004, a college buddy, Clay Gilkerson, teamed up with Green to pedal 2,600 miles through the mountains of Western Europe on a trip from Austria to Spain. That generated approximately $20,000 in donations.
Now Green, who graduated this spring from the University of South Carolina with double majors in international business and accounting, has taken a break before beginning a job with PricewaterhouseCoopers in Denver. Most young men would take their last summer off somewhere near the ocean, or camping, or just lounging around before heading out for the beginning of their work years. But not Green, who has hiked 2,175 miles from Springer Mountain in Georgia to Mount Katahdin in Maine.
So far, those following Green’s progress in an online journal have contributed over $6,000 to the Methodist Home, and it is amazing who he talks to and the support he generates on his trips, for the home. He is carrying one of the Methodist Home Teddy Bears with him to tell people he meets about the home.
Green says even though he had been isolated in the mountain wilderness for several days at a time during this hike, he has talked to a lot of folks along the way. “Every three or four days, you come into a small town and eat and rest and stock up on more food,” states Green. “I’ve slept in a lot of Methodist Church basements or fellowship halls. The people have been very supportive of me along the trail, especially when I tell them about the home back in Macon.”
Green’s parents even caught up with him on June 11, along the trail in Virginia’s Shenandoah Scenic Park, for his birthday, when he turned 26.
Green took up long-distance bicycling in high school, which led to his trips across the U.S. and Europe. A love of backpacking and camping as a Boy Scout years before with Macon Troop 19, brought him to the Appalachian Trail. He says most of the folks he met on his hike fell into two age groups — the young to mid 20s like himself, who have finished college and are taking a break before beginning work, and those in their late 50s and 60s who have retired and finally found time to do this.
A typical day on the trail was 15-30 miles, depending on the terrain. A bout with a stomach bug slowed him down a couple of days, and he has had foot, ankle, knee and hip pains come and go. Everyone gets them, you just push through it. Green even battled an outbreak of poison ivy on his feet and legs.
Other than the people he met, Green said the beautiful scenery and wildlife have been his favorites. He saw 10 bears, some rattlesnakes, a skunk and hundreds of deer and birds.     “I’ve always been a big dreamer and always made plans for trips,” stated Green. “I haven’t ridden in Asia yet, or sailed around the world, or climbed Mt. Everest. Some of that may not be realistic, but some might. One thing I’ve learned in my travels is that the options are endless, and you can accomplish most any dream if you work hard enough and don’t listen to those who say you can’t.”
Green tells folks who are bored or out of work, to find a cause they are passionate about and get involved. Green’s resume is impressive, because it isn’t everyday a 26-year-old can claim that they earned over $100,000 in donations for one group.