One of our donors, Ms. Laurie Potteiger, Information Services Manager of the Appalachian Trail Conservancy and an Appalachian Trail Thru-Hiker, told me that the “... last 5 miles ... are very challenging. The A.T. up Katahdin is debatably the toughest climb on the entire A.T. Some sections are so steep that rebar is drilled into the rock to help you ascend or descend, and the section of the A.T. above treeline on Katahdin is very exposed.”  Of course, what Laurie doesn’t say is that after you’ve hiked that last 5 miles, you’ve got to hike them AGAIN in order to get back down – so basically, those last 10 miles are killers!

Since you have joined us on our hike up our own version of the Appalachian Trail – guess where we are?  You got it – the last 10 miles!

We’ve made it through the first 2,040 miles of Grandma Gatewood’s hike – we finished our storytelling program, our one-act play and in May, 2015, we premiered our documentary, TRAIL MAGIC:  THE GRANDMA GATEWOOD STORY, to two sold-out houses, and it has since been seen by more than 1,900 people.  Hikers at the Appalachian Long Distance Hiker Association’s annual gathering applauded Emma for being ahead of the pack in lightweight backpacking which is now common.  The Lake Erie Arts & Film Festival enjoyed the marvelous canvas of her life and Emma’s grandson, Carl, wrote, “... outstanding work on TRAIL MAGIC - Grandma would be so proud & honored." 

Since then, the documentary made its PBS premier on WOUB on June 14, 2016 and is now available to other PBS stations. 

Now we’re facing our “Katahdin” and we need your help to keep up our momentum to get to the top (and back down)!  So, we’re launching a fundraising drive to assist with making Grandma Gatewood’s story more accessible to groups and individuals.  Emma’s story has a wide appeal, and presentations of the storytelling program, play and film have been seen by more than 4,000 people!  With your help, we can reach many more!
Our goal is simple.  Raise $5000 by December 31, 2016.  This is a modest goal and, with your help, completely attainable.  Funds are needed to:

1. Pay for closed captioning of the documentary for PBS so more can benefit from her inspiring story.
2. Pay for duplication of a saleable DVD.This will provide renewable resources for the Grandma Gatewood project and allow it to reach more people.
3. Provide funds for packaging and mailing the DVD.
4. Pay for staff time to research venues, contact and schedule events, design marketing materials and promote all of the Grandma Gatewood programs.

These goals are so simple and basic that you may think, “So many people will contribute that my support is not needed.”  What if everyone thinks that way? Actually, every dollar we receive will not only help us share Grandma Gatewood’s story, but will also help Eden Valley Enterprises continue to tell the stories that others forget.
Grandma Gatewood’s story inspires everyone to walk boldly into life.  It motivates us to think about how determination at any age is what moves us forward.  Emma was one of the first women to prove that we can do and be who we believe we are.  She inspires us to ACT on our goals.  Her story tells us that we should not be influenced by what others tell us we cannot do, because, as Emma would say, “Can’t never DID anything!”

You can do something to help by making a donation to help us hike that final 10 miles.  Every dollar will get us closer to our goal of $5000 and contributions of any size are greatly appreciated.  Of course, as a not-for-profit corporation, your donation is tax-deductible and you donate on-line with a credit card or download a convenient form to pay by check – just visit us at http://edenvalleyenterprises.org/progdesc/gatewood/donate.htm for complete information.

We have some great thank you gifts for your donations right now – including copies of our TRAIL MAGIC DVD!

Thru-Hiker ($250+) $________  (receive a free copy of the DVD, TRAIL MAGIC:  THE GRANDMA GATEWOOD STORY, and a copy of the e-book, GRANDMA GATEWOOD: OHIO’S LEGENDARY HIKER)

Section Hiker ($100 +) $________  (receive a free copy of the DVD of the storytelling program, GRANDMA GATEWOOD: OHIO’S LEGENDARY HIKER, and the companion e-book)

Weekender ($50 +)  $________  (receive a free copy of the e-book, GRANDMA GATEWOOD: OHIO’S LEGENDARY HIKER)

Thank you, again, for your past and continued support.

Bette Lou

P.S.:  Remember, spreading the word about our programs also helps -- and so does hosting a presentation.  To bring any of our shows to your group, just send me and e-mail so we can plan your special event!