“I have witnessed local children’s lives’ completely turned around by this program and the wonderful ‘Bigs’ who give of their time as well as their hearts to make a difference in the lives of these young people,” Steve Claxton wrote on his blog. 

He’s aiming to raise $20,000 to help the nine-county organization, which matches children 6 to 14 from single-parent families with adult mentors. 

Since starting out on the trail on Feb. 22, Claxton has made it all the way from Springer Mountain in Georgia to the middle section of Virginia, about 800 miles of the 2,189-mile trail. He’s documenting his journey along the way through blog and public Facebook posts. 

Donate to the cause at www.gofundme.com/z3r3f7ws, and follow Claxton’s journey through his blog at www.steveclaxton.com/hiker.