Steps to Marrow 3 (2020 Arizona Walk)

Dear All, It was a short walk again today. Yesterday after spreading the word about our national marrow donor program in downtown Chandler with Lindsey and Ciara I walked 3.5 miles toward Arizona State University. That left me with just over 9 miles to walk today. Most of my walk today was through housing tracks built in the 60's and 70's. I did get to walk just over a mile along the Arizona Canal Trail. It was refreshing to see the water but without shade it quickly became the hottest part of the walk. I finished at the Memorial Union at ASU where Aubrie picked me up. I have been stressing how important it is to increase diversity on the Be The Match registry. I'd like to talk a bit more about that now. A lot of people think that you need to have a matching blood type to be a match for a stem cell or bone marrow transplant but that is not true. The doctors are looking to match proteins in your DNA called, human leukocyte antigens (HLA). These HLA markers are inherited from your parents; one half from your mother and one half from your father. That's why the best related donors are brothers or sisters. You have a 25% chance of matching a sibling. Sadly, only 30% of patients in need of a transplant find a perfect match within their family. So 70% of the time Be The Match begins the search for an unrelated donor. Some ethnic groups have more complex HLA markers than other groups. That's why you have the best chance of finding your perfect match within your own ethnic group. Unfortunately, African Americans, Latinx, Native Americans, Pacific Islanders and Asians are all underreppresented on the Be The Match registry. I hope you see now how unique you are and why we need you to text LIFE to 61474. If you are not eligible to join you can play an important role by helping to spread the word about joining Be The Match by texting LIFE to 61474. A patient’s chances of finding a stem cell or bone marrow match ranges from 19% to 80% depending on their ethnic background. That's why I am walking across the Sonoran Desert to bring awareness to the need for increased diversity in our national marrow donor program, Be The Match. I want everyone in need of a stem cell or bone marrow transplant to have a second chance at life just like our Jada.

Dear All, I had a short morning walk of 5.3 miles and all along the way I stopped to talk to folks about the importance of diversity on the Be The Match registry, what it means to be a potential stem cell donor and how to join Be The Match by texting LIFE to 61474. I stopped at the Chandler Regional Medical Center, the Chandler School District Office and then walked over to the U of A campus in Chandler. The Be The Match on Campus Coordinator for Be The Match in Phoenix, Lindsey, and the Be The Match student intern, Ciara, met me at the University of Arizona, Chandler Campus. We spent the early afternoon visiting with folks in downtown Chandler about Be The Match and stem cell and bone marrow donation. We talked to the student advisor at U of A Chandler. We went to the Chandler City Hall and got information about how to submit a proposal for a stem cell/bone marrow donor awareness day proclamation. And we visited the administrative offices for the Chandler Fire Department. Again we shared information about how to join Be The Match and stem cell donation to save the lives of patients in need of a transplant. I had a wonderful time with Lindsey and Ciara. There is always so much to learn from others. I find it really useful to listen to others talk about Be The Match and what it means to be a potential stem cell or bone marrow donor. Lindsey and Ciara are both young woman with a passion for saving lives by enrolling potential donors. They each have a unique story to share.

Dear All, Because I did not have permission from the Gila River Tribal Council to walk and pitch my tent on their lands I made up 24 miles by walking in Queen Creek. I walked 12 miles on Saturday and 10 on Sunday. The other 2 miles I will make up on Tues. I am blessed to have the help of Aubrie and Ben York. I have been able to get up early, have a cup of coffee and a light breakfast, shower, prep my feet for the days' walk, fill my camel pack with water and head out to walk. Aubrie and Ben gave me a key so that when they are out I can take care of my needs, dinner, shower, laundry, etc and then get to bed early. I am so grateful to them for their generosity and gentle ways.

Dear All, Oh, what a pleasure it was to stay at the Holiday Inn in Casa Grande. I was up early but took my time getting ready because I had just over 10 miles to walk and my ride couldn't pick me up until after 5pm. It was all arranged for Aubrie Vargas, an account manager with Be The Match, to pick me up at the Sacaton Rest Area off of the I-10 at the end of the day. It was a good day to walk, a bit windy but not knocking me off balance. As I neared the I-10 I decided it would be best to cross over the interstate and go up the ramp headed west toward Phoenix (which is really north at the N. Pinal Ave interchange.) As I get closer and closer to cities then I can't walk on interstates or freeways. I have to find roads that run parallel. I thought that I was still out far enough into the desert that a 9.9 mile walk along the interstate to the exit for the 587 would work. in the desert there is a nice strip of desert that you can walk and you are not even walking on the immediate shoulder next to the lanes of traffic. It is really quite safe. As I approached the I-10, and crossed with great caution over the interstate on a bridge with an 8" shoulder, I saw a Police car sitting on the side of N. Pinal Ave just past the on ramp. I thought better to go talk with the officer rather than have him follow me into the I-10 if I was too close to the city to walk on the interstate. I told the officer who I am and what I am doing. He said I couldn't walk the I-10 and I couldn't walk outside the fence because it is Gila River Tribal Lands. I told him I want to be respectful and not walk on the tribal lands without an invitation. That's when I noticed the ensigna on his car was from the Gila River Tribe and it dawned on me that he was a tribal officer. I was in a bit of a spot. So I asked him if I could get a ride to the Sacaton Rest Area. He helped me arrange a ride with a n officer from the Pinal County Sheriff's office. He arrived after about 10 minutes. I admit a few times as I was waiting I thought, oh, it won't hurt for me to just walk up to the rest area. It's just 2 miles. But I was able to go through the angel on one shoulder and the devil on the other debate and follow what my conscience said was the polite behavior for a visitor to do. The county deputy came and dropped me off at the Sacaton Rest Area where I waited for Aubrie to come and pick me up. Oh, what a joy it was to see Aubrie Vargas York again. She and I worked on drives together on my walk across America from Phoenix all the way through Albuquerque, N.M. And she and her beautiful family were amazing trail angels on the first Step To-Marrow walk. It was a wonderful reunion.

Dear All, Every day can be filled with promise. I know sometimes that is hard to see, to accept. But the challenges I faced yesterday were light burdens today. I had a much shorter walk. The pathway was free of obstacles and there was just a gentle cool breeze as I made my way to Casa Grande. Walking through Casa Grande I spied the newspaper office, the Casa Grande Dispatch. After hearing my story they agreed to do an interview later in the day. The general manager of the Holiday Inn offered me a room for the night along with meals! I had lunch and did my interview with Melissa from the Casa Grande Dispatch and by 4:00 I went to my room for some rest. Around 8:00 pm I went down to the bar to have a light supper. There I could hear two men speaking with German accents. (Ronnie and Alex) During the introductions I told them and Dean who was also sitting at the bar Jada and Torsten's story and how easy it is to join Be The Match by texting LIFE to 61474. Then I added in Germany you can type in DKMS.de to join the German Donor Center. The younger of the two men, Alex, said, "I know. I belong to Deutschland Knochenmarkspender and I donated my blood to a young man who was about to be married." Just hearing their German accents had put a smile on my face because it made me feel closer to Jada's donor, Torsten Huber. Then to hear Alex's story of saving the life of his fellow countryman filled me with joy. Alex humbly shared his donor story. He and his recipient are the same age. He received a letter from the recipient two years post transplant that said he had married his girl and that he and his wife are indebted to Alex for his life. This is why I walk so that there will be many, many more stories of successful transplants from donor to recipient. I am especially determined to increase awareness for the need to register folks of Native American, African American, Latinx, and Asian descent, on the Be The Match registry, with this Steps To-Marrow 3 walk. You all can help by sharing how to join Be The Match by texting LIFE to 61474 and joining yourself if you are between the ages of 18 and 60 and medically eligible.

Dear All, Today was a long trek in strong winds and with many obstacles to overcome. I have been on the road long enough now that my backpack, even with the extra weight of a days' water, feels like it is part of me. In the beginning of the walk physically and psychologically the backpack felt like an extra weight hanging onto me. Perhaps it seems odd to you but after I have carried the heavy weight of the backpack for so long it feels like it is part of me, like it belongs right there on my back. That doesn't mean that at the end of a long rough day it isn't a relief to lower that heavy pack to the ground; it is a comfort to feel the pack resting against the hollow of my back, knowing I have what I need to survive right there. Well, today was one of those hard days. I started out walking along the outside of the fence on the west side of the I-10. After only a mile I ran into a fence running east and west, perpendicular to my path. I walked almost a 1/2 a mile out of my way before I found a break in the fence. I walked back to the I-10 and up the off ramp to avoid having to add more mileage to my day. Most of the day I was fighting winds strong enough to blow me and my backpack off balance. There was not a clear path on the small strip of desert terrain along the interstate so I had lots of ups and downs through ditches and tos and fros going around things blocking my path. Oh, how happy I was to see the familiar Motel 6 sign raised up high in the sky at exit 200. A hot bath to ease my muscles, a warm meal to fill my belly, a cool drink to refresh my spirit and I dropped off to sleep having extended loving kindness to myself and others. I hope you will be able to extend loving kindness and text LIFE to 61474 to find out if you are the cure for a patient in need of a perfect match for a bone marrow transplant!

Dear All, I was sad to say goodbye to Stacie this morning. What a beautiful time we had together. I told her it was my turn now to host her again. So whether she is walking or just traveling through eastern Washington I would love for her to stop by and visit me in Deer Park. We took a photo together with Picacho Peak in the background. I felt drawn to Picacho Peak, by its unusual formation and its towering presence, as I passed it on my way down to Tucson and now again as I pass it on my way to Casa Grande. I Googled Picacho Peak to learn a bit more about it and here's what I found on Wikipedia, '...Though appearing to be the remnant of a volcanic neck, it is now believed to be a tilted and eroded piece of rock overlain by a lava flow. The place name is redundant: "picacho" means "peak" in Spanish.' Peak Peak, I like that. I walked most of the day on a frontage road on the east side of the I-10. I hoped that I would be able to find a safe place to pitch my tent somewhere near Eloy for the night. About a mile and a half before the turn east to Eloy I saw a sign for Picacho KOA Campground. The KOA was on the west side of the I-10. I was on the east side. did a quick search to find the best walking route over the interstate to the KOA. Google maps showed me a route that would take me 5 miles north up over the highway and back down 5 miles to the KOA. Ouch! 10 extra miles to reach a campground that was just a mile up the road. I decided I would look for a way under the barbwire fence running along the I-10. You can walk for miles and not find a way through the barbwire but I was lucky and soon found a spot where the top two strands of wire were missing. It was easy for me to step right over. Next I had to wait for a break in the traffic and run across 4 lanes of traffic, down and back up the median, and then run across the south bound lanes of traffic. I assure you that I was extremely cautious. My next challenge was to find a way under, over or through the barbwire fence on the west side of the highway. Luck was with me again. This time there was a gap at the bottom of the fence large enough for me to shimmy under. The folks at the KOA were wonderful. They gave me a great spot for my tent. The wind was very strong as it had been all day. With the help of some children camping at the KOA I was able to get the tent up. The kids each held down a corner while I drove the stakes into the ground. Then they each took a turn pounding a stake into the ground. When we had the tent up I thanked them and praised them for their willingness to help me when I was in need. Each of the children (I am guessing that they were between the ages of 5 and 7.) came to me later and expressed how it felt to be able to help me. The little girl said she felt good inside knowing that she helped me to put up my tent and she knew I couldn't have done it without her help. The oldest boy smiled big and said he would help me again if I needed it. And the youngest little boy shyly said he learned that he was strong enough to hammer in the stake all by himself. They were very sweet exchanges. You see part of the joy of relying on the generosity of others is the opportunity it gives to folks to be a part of the success of the Steps To-Marrow 3 journey. Yes, I am walking every day but I could not successfully complete the journey without the help of others who share water, food, a safe place to sleep or help me put up my tent on a very windy afternoon.

Dear All, My trail angel, Stacie, dropped me off early this morning so she could drive back to the east side of Tucson to meet her crew to begin their days' work. There was a chill in the pure desert air as I began my walk. It felt good to be out on the road as the sun was rising over the eastern mountains. It was a simple, steady, rather uneventful day of walking. The one unusual event was my participation in a Peacemaker Circle meeting while I was on the road. The Peacemaker Circle is a project I began with a group of folks from around the world about a year ago. It is based on work that I did about 15 years ago with Bernie Glassman and the Zen Peacemakers. The meeting was to begin at 11 am. I found an old tire to sit on, kicked it to be sure that no critters were hiding in it and settled down for the meeting using the Zoom app. Shortly into the meeting I was having trouble with reception so I spent the rest of the time in the circle walking slowly across the desert sand. There was a beauty being connected with the circle participants from Europe and New Zealand as I stepped gently through the Sonoran Desert. I walked late into the afternoon. Stacie picked me up a quarter of a mile past mile marker 222 near the base of Picacho Peak. I walked further than I had expected which meant less time with my heavy backpack tomorrow. That's a reason to smile! When we got back to Stacie and Doug's house I started my laundry, showered and started packing up all of my gear so I would be ready to leave in the morning. I am so grateful to Stacie and Doug for the exceptional care they have given me in my stay here in Tucson. Having walked across America herself Stacie was able to predict my needs and provide for me even before I expressed a need. I also was very taken by all of Stacie's stories of her walk across America. I went to bed early and fell asleep almost instantly.

Dear All, I can't believe it is time to begin my journey north toward Phoenix. People ask me how I can walk long distances. How I can walk from Yuma to Tucson to Phoenix. The truth is I just take one step at a time. And I don't focus on the end of the journey or on the destination at the end of the day's route. It is true that the journey is not easy. I sometimes experience pain, like blisters; or discomfort, like a day that is too windy or too hot; or fear, like running head on into a rattlesnake; or challenges, like scooching under barbed wire fences or climbing up a steep embankment with my heavy backpack; or uncertainty, like will I be able to find a safe place to sleep tonight. I want you to know that this journey is like a walk in the park compared to my little Jada's journey to defeat Acute Myeoloid Leukemia! The physical pain that she endured as an infant from the disease itself and from the treatment of the disease was unbearable at times. The discomfort of being in the hospital 24 hours a day 7 days a week for the first year of her life, with nurses, doctors coming and going all hours of the night and day was invasive and disruptive. The fear, I cannot speak for Jada and the fear that an innocent baby experienced, but I can speak to the fear that her Mommy and Daddy endured facing Jada's possible death day after day for that first year of her precious life. It was untenable. Jada continues to face challenges everyday of her life as a result of the chemicals her body was exposed to as the doctors raced against time to save her life. She had a re-occurance of graft vs host disease a few years ago which resulted in debilitating seizures but she fought her way back one step at a time like a champion. Uncertainty, well we all live with that everyday don't we. Our Jada's uncertainty brings out a beautiful zest for life in this remarkable young woman I am blessed to call my granddaughter. So how do I endure these long walks to raise awareness about the great need for bone marrow and stem cell donors on registries around the world? I walk with the inspiration from my hero, Jada. I walk with gratitude to those who came before, knowing that there are many who died because medical technology was not advanced enough to save their lives. I walk with determination for those patients who are in desperate need of finding their match for a stem cell or bone marrow transplant. I walk with aspirations that all of those who are in need of a stem cell or bone marrow transplant now and in the future will find their perfect match and have a second chance at life just like Miss Jada. This inspiration and determination, this gratitude and aspiration, this is how I am able to take each step forward on my long distance walks.

Dear All, It has been an amazing and productive day amidst a fair share of dead end leads. The key is to keep going, to thank those I meet even if they are not able to help meet my needs right now. I will not give you the blow by blow details but after traveling from floor to floor, room to room, elevator to elevator, department to department I was not able to locate the person or department at Banner University Medical Center that could help me today. But I did get to talk to alot of folks about how to join our national marrow donor program, Be The Match. And my meandering lead me to come up with some new ideas for working with hospitals across the country which I am already working on with Be The Match. So all in all my visit to Banner University Medical Center was very satisfying. After my work at Banner University Medical Center I went over to the University of Arizona, which is just a short walk from the medical center. There I was able to visit with so many students: students from the nursing Dept, students from sororities, pharmacy students, students on the walkways, students in the ASB office, students, students and more students. The folks at the University were very receptive. It was an amazing and rewarding afternoon. After Stacie picked me up. I was exhausted. I felt like I had walked 14 miles carrying my heavy backpack! I apologized to Stacie and Doug and went to bed early so I would be ready to begin walking north in the morning. In evaluating my experience in Tucson the only thing I would have done differently is I would have arranged more days to do my "bone marrow and stem cell donation education." The changes in my schedule did not allow me enough time. :(

Dear All, I couldn't believe it when I reviewed my route I have walked for 11 days straight. My pattern is 4 days on and 1 day doing what I call bone marrow transplant education work. In rerouting myself around the Tohono O'odham Tribal lands I had to push myself a bit to make the schedule work. I also walked two extra days to cut the mileage per day down. That helped me a lot. So today Stacie and Doug both went off to work. Stacie got out her laptop to help me catch up on some Steps To-Marrow 3 work and I got my laundry done. I even had time to go sit in the shade of her porch, which was delightful! One thing that happens to me when I walk long distances is I start to feel uncomfortable, cramped when I am indoors for too long. I love the spaciousness of being outside, close to the earth. Earlier in the walk I remembered that feeling from my other two walks but it didn't start right away but gradually I feel it more and more. I don't think it is a good thing or a bad thing. I have always felt that it is a very natural human thing to feel. As one of my hosts on my first walk, a doctor, Patrick Sullivan, from Vian, Oklahoma told me, "It is in our nature, our species is the best walkers on the planet." So for me it is quite natural to walk on the earth everyday, to breathe in the air, feel the sun on my back, to listen to the songs of the birds, and to connect with the vastness of the universe.

Dear All, It has been good to be with Stacie. We've been sharing lots of walking stories. Stacie owns her own landscaping company. Working outside in Tucson means you must start early before the heat of the day comes full force. That is especially true in the summer here in Tucson but it is also followed here in the winter. So Stacie has to get up an hour and a half early to get me out to my route and back in time to start working with her crew. That means I have been getting early starts which I like very much. I like to have quiet walks but I am also committed to spreading the word about the need for diversity on the Be The Match registry which means I have lots of phone calls to make, emails to send and answer if I am going to meet with the folks that can help the Steps To-Marrow 3 walk have a lasting impact On Tuesday and Wednesday I did a lot of that work during my walk. I am still trying to reach the right person from the Tohono O'odham Nation; working with the 5500 district governor about giving talks at local Rotary Clubs along my route; finding the right person to meet with at Banner University Medical Center when I arrive in Tucson; contacts at University of Arizona; and contacting radio, TV and Newspapers to help us spread the word about how important it is to increase the diversity of the Be The Match registry, how easy it is to join by texting LIFE to 61474 and what it means to be a stem cell or bone marrow donor. I walked into Tucson on Wednesday afternoon. I stopped by the Flowing Wells Fire Department to talk with them about joining Be The Match by texting LIFE to 61474 and taking an I Stand With Jada photo holding up the digits 61474. They were very accommodating. They shared water and a comfy place to rest. I finished my route at a Circle K about a mile away. Stacie picked me up and when I got to her home I crashed for a 3 hour nap.

Dear All, It is rare when I leave a host family that I have another to pick me up at the end of the day but this is a unique situation. After my walk today Stacie Eichinger will be meeting me at the intersection of N. Casa Grande Hwy and E. Missile Base Road. Stacie is a fellow walker. She walked across the United States in 2013. She walked from the Pacific Ocean at Ocean City, WA to the Atlantic Ocean at Savannah, Georgia. Stacie walked for Beads of Courage. The Beads of Courage program is designed to help children facing life threatening diseases. Each child is given Beads of Courage for procedures and surgeries, etc involved in the treatment of their illness."Their Beads of Courage experience begins when each child is first given a length of string and beads that spell out their first name. Then, colorful beads, each representing courage during their treatment experiences are given to the child by their professional health care provider as determined by the Beads of Courage Bead Prescription. As beads are added to their Beads of Courage collection, children and teens can RECORD, TELL, and OWN their stories of courage." https://www.beadsofcourage.org/the-beads-of-courage-program/ I got a message from a friend of mine on facebook, in 2013. The message said that a woman was walking across America and she was close to my house. I know how important hosts or trail angels can be to a solo walker so I contacted Stacie that day. When my friend Shayne and I met up with Stacie, she was 8 miles outside of Wilbur, WA crossing the desert. Stacie walked with a cart instead of a backpack. We loaded up her cart and took Stacie back to the Blue House in Deer Park. Stacie had a fever and was feeling achy so she stayed in bed resting and healing for two days before she went back out to the road again. Because Stacie had a safe place to stay she didn't have to push her heavy cart she could carry her light backpack with just the things that she would need for a day's walk. Shayne and I took her out to her route in the mornings and then picked her up in the evening. Shayne knows members of the Hutterite community out near Reardon. The Hutterites invited Stacie to spend an evening with them. She had a wonderful time meeting the folks in the Hutterite community. It was a unique and rare opportunity to spend sometime with a fascinating group of people. We picked Stacie up again in Airway Heights. She walked all of the way through Spokane and Post Falls, Idaho before we dropped her off for the last time and I watched her walking east toward the foothills of the Rocky Mountains pushing her big cart ahead of her with each step. This time it is Stacie picking me up from my route and being my trail angel! I am anxious to see her again and feeling blessed to have a safe place to sleep tonight!

Dear All, Before leaving the Feezer's house this morning Becky gifted me a hat. Wow! What a gift! Yesterday, I wrapped my rain jacket around my head and neck to keep from being exposed to the scorching sun all day. The Feezer's, Ross and Becky, will host me again tonight so I am carrying my light pack for the day. The light pack has plenty of water for the days walk, bandages for my feet and toes for blisters that I have and/or to prevent blisters, sunscreen, an extra pair of shoes so I can keep my feet cool, my ID in case I am stopped by ICE or the local police (which has happened several times), tissue and Jada Bascom Foundation business cards to share information about the steps To-Marrow 3 walk and how to join the Be The Match registry by texting LIFE to 61474. I also carry rain gear when necessary. Oh, I forgot and snacks for nutrition throughout the day when I have the snacks.

I walked cross-country for quite a bit of the day because the frontage road along the I-10 was not continuous. It started and stopped, started and stopped...so when the frontage road disappeared I walked across the open desert. Sometimes this is a good strategy and sometimes it is not. For example, it is not a good strategy when you run into a canal carrying water and you have to backtrack to find a way over the canal. But today I was lucky and I was able to traverse all of the obstacles in my path. About 1/2 way through the day the frontage road did not stop anymore but I continued to walk through the desert because there was no shoulder and I did not feel safe walking on the road. The bit of desert that I was walking along was in between the frontage road and the railroad tracks. Nature called and I decided to walk down into a drainage ditch near the culverts for the elevated railroad tracks to hide myself.

As I approached the drainage ditch I noted lots and lots of rocks. I thought if it wasn't winter I would not go down there because it looked like the perfect habitat for snakes. My evaluation process quickened as my need to pee grew stronger. Oh, it's okay because all of the snakes are sleeping I thought. So down into the ditch I went carefully stepping from rock to rock. On my way back to climb out of the ditch again carefully stepping from rock to rock I heard a deep threatening hiss and then the unmistakable rattle of a rattlesnake. I froze, heart pumping I scanned back and forth desperately trying to find him so I would not walk toward him. I could not see him, the hissing and rattling continued. It was only a matter of seconds I am sure but time stood still. Finally, I spotted him in front of me to my right 1/2 hidden by the sparse branches of a bush. There he was coiled on a large rock, head raised, neck arched coming up out of the coil, ready to strike. Time in slow motion I moved, without breathing, sliding imperceptibly to the left my eyes never leaving the rattlesnake. And then with an adrenaline induced super power I leapt from the bottom of that ditch right up to the top and I didn't look back. I had an adrenaline high for 40 minutes. The world was richer, more bountiful, more delicate. I was filled with gratitude, awe and wonder.

Facing death brings a deep appreciation for the value of life. There are patients in need of a stem cell transplant today who have not found their match. You could be the cure. Text LIFE to 61474

A woman is on a long distance mission to raise awareness for bone marrow donors.

Source: Woman walks across Sonoran Desert to raise awareness for bone marrow donors

https://kvoa.com/news/local-news/2020/02/18/woman-walks-across-sonoran-desert-to-raise-awareness-for-bone-marrow-donors/

Dear All, I feel rested, energetic and ready to walk. Yesterday, I got a call from a member of the Casa Grande Daybreak Rotary Club, Ross Feezer. Ross said that he had received an email from the President of his club that talked about the Steps To-Marrow 3 project, it mentioned my needs and contact information in case any of the members would like to help me on my way. Ross offered me a place for the night and to pick me up from my route when I finished for the day. It is a blessing to know that I will have a safe place to sleep for the night. Thank you Ross and his wife, Becky, for that. You all have heard of the 6 degrees of separation, that proposes that any two individuals on the planet are 6 or fewer acquaintances apart. So here is how Ross and I were connected. I asked Gary Bowe a rotarian in my club, in Deer Park,WA if he knew any Rotarians from our district who travel down to Arizona for the winter. Gary connected me with Mike Payson a member of the Spokane Valley Rotary Club. Mike and his wife travel to Prescott,AZ each winter and attend the Prescott Frontier Rotary Club, Mike put me in touch with the District Governor for Rotary District 5500, Ellie Patterson. DG Ellie Patterson sent an email to all of the clubs in her District about Steps To-Marrow 3 and my needs for a safe journey through the Sonoran Desert. The president of the Casa Grande Daybreak Rotary Club, Sheila Chavez passed on the email from Ellie to all of her club members and Ross responded. Ross later told me that he likes to help others when he can. He has projects in Ecuador that he has been actively involved in for over 30 years both individually and through Rotary. He served in Ecuador when he was in the Peace Corps and helping the Ecuadorian people is a mission close to his heart. Then he said, "I can't do everything but when I see something that needs to be done or someone who needs help in my daily life. I like to do what I can." I think this is a pretty common feeling for the average Rotarian. Yes, we do projects together and we raise money for folks in need but in addition to that Rotarians respond to the needs of others as they arise. And I love how Ross framed it. "I can't do everything but I like to do what I can." This giving nature, this desire to help others as we meet the need is part of Ross's Rotary Story. This giving nature is part of my Jada's donor's story too. He gave his cells to a stranger and saved my precious granddaughter's life Take a look inside today if this a need that you can meet. If so text LIFE to 61474 and find out if you are someone's perfect match!

Dear All, I decided yesterday that I would not try to find a ride out to I-8 this morning. I do like to walk every step of my route contiguously but getting a ride out to Montgomery Road and then finishing my route 9.6 miles out in the middle of the desert and having to rewalk the remaining 4 miles to I-10 exit 200 just didn't make sense so I decided to walk my 9.6 miles along a desert nature trail that I could pick up right behind the Love's Travel Center. A bit into the walk I spied a little heart rock embedded into the pathway. I studied it and thought, 'well, it isn't shaped quite right on the left side. It isn't perfect' but it inspired me to begin looking for heart shapes to photograph as I walked along amidst the desert beauty. Being present with the rocks and flora, the dead wood and eroded sand, the heat of the sun and the earthen winter smell of the desert I began to realize it wasn't perfect hearts I was looking for. No, it was not a matter of searching at all. I was looking at, communing with, surrounded by every day, ordinary perfectly imperfect hearts. The day unfolded so sweetly with each step. My husband of 23 years left our marriage while baby Jada was fighting for her life against Acute Myeoloid Leukemia. It was a daily life and death struggle. All of us lived not knowing, not knowing if this tiny little baby would live through the day. I dare not speak for the motivations of another but lots of marriages break up when a family is facing this kind of medical crisis. I just never imagined that it would be my marriage. And I can tell you I had some pretty miserable Valentine's Days in the years that followed. Grief, loneliness, rejection stick out like neon lights on Valentine's Day. Emerging from this dark grief and heavy sense of lacking slowly steadily, step by step over the years made this peaceful light-hearted communion with the desert on Valentine's Day all the sweeter. Make someone's day sweeter and join the Be The Match registry today! Text LIFE to 61484

• Yuma Sun
• 17 Feb 2020
• BY RACHEL ESTES SUN STAFF WRITER

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From Jeana Moore’s perspective, life is a gift that everyone should have a fair shot at receiving.

That’s why she’s on a 464.9-mile journey through the desert with a sign strapped to her backpack reading ‘Save A Life, Text LIFE to 61474.’ Called Steps to Marrow, Moore’s walk is taking literal steps toward raising awareness for the national need for bone marrow donors.

In 2007, Moore’s one-month-old granddaughter Jada Bascom began her fight with acute myeloid leukemia, a rare form of cancer for infants. By five months, Bascom had already received four chemotherapy treatments — but they weren’t working. Her parents were told that her only hope would be a bone marrow transplant, and the sooner the better.

Bascom was put on a waiting list while doctors searched born marrow registries in the United States and Europe. Out of 11 million donors, there was one match. At seven months old — a very short time compared to many recipients who wait years to find a match — Bascom received her transplant and, as her grandmother puts it, a “second chance at life.”

“It’s so hard to understand how an infant can be that sick,” Moore said. “We were really blessed to find that perfect match, because it’s so hard to find it. Sometimes there’s only one.”

Today, Bascom is healthy and just a few short months away from celebrating her 13th birthday.

“I’m just so grateful, and I want to give back,” Moore said.

In 2009, she founded the Jada Bascom Foundation and started walking, trekking from Seattle to New York City, each day speaking to people about joining the national bone marrow registry, Be The Match.

In 2012, to pay tribute to the German donor center that found her granddaughter’s match and raise awareness overseas, Moore walked through Europe from the Baltic Sea to the Adriatic Sea.

Along the way, she’s enrolled over 20,000 new donors to the registry — and she’s not done yet.

Moore began her latest journey in Winterhaven on Jan. 24, winding through the desert into San Luis and onto Gila Bend. Next, she’ll head toward Tucson before finishing in Phoenix in March.

Moore said she mapped her route through the Sonoran desert because it’s a “good way to highlight the need for diversity.”

“The Native American and Latin American populations are underrepresented on the registry,” she said. “Our mission is to make sure everyone can find their perfect match and get a second chance at life, and we don’t want any particular population to have that chance lessened.”

Moore posts regular updates on the Jada Bascom Foundation’s website, jada bas come foundation. org, and invites others to join her for a few miles if they feel so inclined.

The website also provides resources and information on becoming a bone marrow donor and what that entails.

“A lot of people get frightened when they hear the words ‘bone marrow donor,’ because it sounds really scary to them,” she said. “But with advanced medical technology, it’s not as invasive as people would imagine.”

To join the registry, potential donors can text LIFE to 61474 to get started, or register online at bethematch.org.

“What’s important is that you register,” she said. “It doesn’t matter if you’re rich or poor, Republican or Democrat — we’ve all been touched by cancer in some way, and we can all rally together to fight it.”

Dear All, I looked and looked and looked for someone headed west on the I-8 toward Gila Bend that could drop me between mile marker 158 and 159. After an hour and unhappy looks from the boss at the Love's Travel Center I decided to walk west instead of trying to get a ride out to my stopping point. A new plan for the day. 🙂 After walking 4 Miles a Highway Patrol Officer stopped. I explained my situation and he offered to take a out to mile marker 159. Awesome! I can add a 1/2 mile at the end of the day! How wonderful and amusing. I came up with an alternative plan when the first didn't unfold like I had hoped and then magically a ride appeared and there I was at my stopping point from the day before. The rest of the day's walk was uneventful. I enjoyed the solitude and intimacy of the winter desert. I arrived at Montgomery Road mid-afternoon. Montgomery Road is a no services exit so I had no idea how long I would have to wait before I even saw my first car let alone got offered a ride. So I settled down to wait sitting on one of the posts supporting the guard rail. I didn't wait long. After about 15 minutes a white sudan appeared. I stood and put out my thumb. And she stopped! Yesterday, I was given a ride by an explosives expert and today I was given a ride by a caregiver on her way back from gently feeding broth to a hospice patient. We had a lovely visit on the way back to the Motel 6.

Dear All, Linda dropped me off this morning on Quail Trail near the Saguaro One RV Park. When I saw it on Google maps I thought perhaps I can stay here for two days as I make my way to the I-8 and I-10 interchange but when I arrived here at the end of the day yesterday I understood that was not going to happen. It is an exit with a hotel that is closed, a gas station that is closed and an old RV Park that is essentially closed. There were a few RV'S and trailers parked around. So with a flexible attitude I decided I would walk approximately 11 miles to the Stanfield exit and try to get a ride to the Arizona City exit. I was having a pleasant walk even with the weight of the heavier backpack. Now you all must know that I need to pee way out here in the middle of the desert. I generally do not mention it out of my sense of proper decorum, but in this case it pertains to the story of how I got a ride. Have I piqued your interest? So, I am walking along and nature calls. So I begin scanning the desert for a depression or gully I might be able to hide myself in or a grouping of bushes or the occasional tree. Ah, I was lucky up ahead there was a nice grouping of bushes and small trees perfect for my purpose. Now, when you walk out into the desert to pee you do not want to take off your backpack and lay it down just anywhere. In your haste you might lay it on a cactus, even a small cactus can leave thorns in your pack that will poke you later when you've put the pack back on. You also have to be careful of insects that may hitch a ride on your pack and appear out of the blue gnawing on you. So I have taken to finding a clear spot near the shoulder of the road, leaving my pack, hiding myself in the bushes and coming back to retrieve my pack. All seemed to go according to plan but as I swung the pack up over my shoulder out of the corner of my eye I spied a shiny white pickup truck. A nice young man looked across the front seat at me, a bit incredulous. I found out later he is an explosives expert. He offered me a ride and I accepted immediately even though I had only walked 7.8 of my 11 miles. I can make those miles up in the next couple of days but I had no surity for a ride later. As we drove the 30 or so miles he explained that his job requires lots of walking in the wilderness because he looks for unexploded bombs and other explosive devices on lands that have been used by the military as training grounds for soldiers. We talked alot about good hiking boots and the differences between his boots and mine. I was also able to share with him how important it is to join the registry and how easy it is to join by texting LIFE to 61474. It turns out that his friend has a brother who was someone's perfect match. The friend's brother went to Texas to make his stem cell donation. The young man said he hadn't joined back then but perhaps this was a message that it was time to join. As he was dropping me off I told him to be safe in his job. He proudly held up 10 wiggling fingers and with a big smile wished me safe travels. There is another very long story to tell about not being able to find a safe place to put my tent for the night but the short story is that I ended up paying for a room at the Motel 6. They did give me a discount. I was so happy to have my first shower (I did have sponge baths in-between) in a week and a bed to sleep in!

Dear All, My trail angel, Linda Buckley, continued to assist me with a safe place to sleep Sunday night, Monday night and Tuesday night! She also dropped me off where I finished my walk the day before every morning and picked me up at the end of each day on I-8. Now you know that I don't get very far away very fast but step by step the miles pass and after 3 days of walking Linda had to drive 40 miles to pick me up at the end of the day. We had agreed that Tuesday would be the last night I would spend with her. When Linda picked me up on Tuesday afternoon she asked if we could take a roundabout way home and drive through Maricopa.It was a very pleasant drive as we drove along Linda mentioned points of interest like the John Wayne cattle ranch. She also included bits of history of Maricopa and its relationship with the tribal lands around it. She stopped so I could get a small tube of toothpaste and then we shared a meal at Cilantro's. On the way back to Gila Bend from Maricopa Linda stopped so I could capture some pictures of the stricking sunset. The beauty of the Sonoran Desert in the winter is breathtaking. A vast expanse of high desert surrounded by mountains all reflecting the colors of the sky like a boundless sea. I feel privileged to walk with intimacy on this sacred land. My commitment to those in need of a bone marrow transplant ever present. Please share with others the great need for diversity on the Be The Match registry and how to join by texting LIFE to 61474.

http://kyma.com/news/2020/01/30/brightside-a-walk-for=bone-marrow-donors

Dear All, I hope this finds you all well. Today has been empowering, informative and gave me some time to relax. I started the day getting ready for the Jada Bascom Foundation board meeting. (Side note: If you are interested in serving on the Jada Bascom Foundation board we meet once a month, sometimes every other month, on the phone in a conference call for one hour. It is a great way to serve. We would like to have three more board members. If you are interested in serving please contact Ramona Lyddon, President of the JBF board, monalyddon@yahoo.com ) I was so moved by the energy and commitment of each of the board members at the meeting. The focus of the meeting was supporting me in the 3rd Steps To-Marrow walk and making the most of this opportunity to reach as many people as possible about the need for diversity on the Be The Match registry and getting the simple message "Text LIFE to 61474" spread far and wide. All of the board members stepped up and volunteered to help. Thank you to Ramona Lyddon, President of the JBF board; Nicholas Corbett, Secretary of the board; Karlene Hyer, Treasurer of the board; and Pat Healy,board member and JBF liaison in Arizona. Thank you for your commitment to the Jada Bascom Foundation's life saving mission to enroll potential bone marrow donors. Thank you for sharing your unique voices, experience and talents.

Dear All, I was lucky to find safe rides out into the desert to my stopping points and back into Gila Bend on Thursday and on Friday morning. On Friday afternoon I finally walked myself into Gila Bend. Wed, Thursday and Friday nights I was the guest of my trail Angel, Linda. Linda bought some property that has two brick buildings on it. They used to be apartments but she doesn't think anyone has lived in them since the 70's. She bought them thinking she could fix them up and create housing for veterans in need. She has been working on the project for two years and still has a long way to go. In the meantime she gives homeless and/or jobless folks a place to stay. I met Linda at The Church at Gila Bend late on Wednesday night and she has allowed me to stay as I walked into Gila Bend. It has been a blessing to know that I have a safe place to lie my head down at night. It isn't much but it is ample accommodations for me. Linda lets me use her bathroom because the bathroom in my room doesn't have working fixtures. My room has electricity that is a power cord coming through the window. It is just enough for me to charge my phone at night and to use a small lamp. There is a mattress where I can lay out my sleeping bag. At night when Linda returns from volunteering at The Church at Gila Bend food bank she has been preparing dinner for both David and I. How lovely and generous she has been. I continue my walks along Pima Street, east to west in the mornings and west to east in the afternoons. Having arrived in Gila Bend officially my next walk will take me out of Gila Bend and begin my trek to Tucson.

Dear All, Wow! What a day! You never know what you will encounter when you are relying on the generosity of others for your food and housing. The practice of relying on the generosity of others manifests in accepting the answer that is given, for example if someone declines to help me I thank them for listening or for considering my request. It is also a practice of receiving what is given. It is a practice of discernment of what I need and what I want. And it is the practice of sharing the opportunity with others to give. Today was centered around this practice of relying on the generosity of others. A very good man named Juan gave me a ride from the Dateland Travel Center to Gila Bend. Juan spoke very little English and I speak very little Spanish. But we were able to communicate a lot about ourselves on the ride from Dateland to Gila Bend. Juan was born in the Sonoran Desert on the Mexico side of the border. He and his wife raised 4 great kids 3 boys and 1 daughter... After Juan and I parted ways I started to look to take care of my immediate needs, first, a restroom. I stopped in at the McDonald's. After I took my pack off someone hollered to me from across the room, "I saw you on the news." I went over and she and her husband invited me to sit with them. They had many questions about Jada, bone marrow donation and the Steps To-Marrow 3 walk. They bought lunch for me and we visited for quite a while. Having used the restroom and had a filling lunch I turned my attention to finding a safe place to sleep for the night. I walked all the way down the main street, Pima Street, going west to east. I stopped at hotels and churches mostly. It was Wed afternoon so no one was at the churches and all of the hotels turned down my request for a room. But the desk clerk at the last hotel told me that the food bank at The Church at Gila Bend opens up after 3. She also said that they will sometimes pay for folks to stay in one of the hotels for the night. So I slung my backpack up over my shoulders again and walked back down Pima Street, this time going east to west. I was fortunate that The Church at Gila Bend was still open when I got there. A very kind person named Linda phoned the right people and pretty soon I was dropped off at a very run down hotel back to the east again on Pima Street. I hadn't stopped at this particular hotel on my first trip down Pima Street because it looked a bit seedy. But here I was receiving the gift of one night at the Payless Inn. The desk clerk hidden behind a thick glass shield was used to dealing with Paul from The Church at Gila Bend. He helped me get settled. The room was saturated with the thick lingering odor of cigarette butts. It looked relatively clean and I could take a shower. I took off my boots,put on my sandals, and prepared for a shower. I noticed a bite on my ankle. "Umm, fleas." I wondered. Following the shower I got bites not only on my ankles but also on my wrists and soon I saw a flea jump across my field of vision after a little baby chomp into my neck. That did it for me. I quickly packed up, locked the door to room 16 crossed the courtyard and slid my key under the thick glass shield at the counter in the office. "Ok, Jeana, it is dark outside, after 8:00 pm and you have no place to stay. What are you going to do?" The best option that I could see was to walk to one of the all night gas stations. As I headed to the gas stations at the west end of town I noticed that there were folks at The Church at Gila Bend. I stopped by to let them know that though I appreciated the room I was not going to be able to stay there. It turns out that on Wednesday nights they have Bible study. They had finished Bible study and were visiting on their way out. After I explained about the fleas everyone looked around from one to the other not sure what to do next. Then my trail angel Linda spoke up. "Come with me." She said. She loaded me, my backpack and another guest, David Smith into her 2001 Pathfinder, Nissan and drove me to a building that she is remodeling. There she gave me a mattress and a safe place to sleep for the night.

Dear All, It was cold last night! But I stayed nice and warm tucked down in my sleeping bag. I didn't want to crawl out into the cold but I did. After an hour of getting ready I began the search for a ride to where my route ended the day before. It took me a while so I got a bit of a late start but two ladies out for a day trip agreed to take me east on I-8. Both of them come down each winter from the north one lady was from Ontario, Canada the other from Wenatchee from my home state of Washington. Before I left Dateland I arranged for a ride back to Dateland at the end of the day with Luis and Robyn. After 12 miles Robyn called and said that they were ready to pick me up. I walked another 1/2 mile and there they were. It was great timing because a cold wind was blowing and temperatures were dropping. You wouldn't think that I would run into many people to talk to about joining Be The Match out in the middle of the desert but I do! Lots of folks have seen the KYMA news story about the third Steps To-Marrow walk and they honk as they go by; I have a sign on my backpack that says Save A Life, Text LIFE to 61474; and I talk to folks at gas stations, rest areas, every where that I can. The internet is a great tool but good old face to face communication and connection is my cup of tea.

Dear All, It is over 50 miles to walk from Dateland to Gila Bend. So I have had to develop strategies to make the walk from Dateland to Gila Bend safely. I decided that I could try to get a ride from Spot Road. I walked a mile past Spot Rd and then back again. Because I needed to get more miles in but I didn't want to get stuck in-between exits. A couple agreed to pick me up at Spot Road in 1/2 an hour. I waited and waited for 1 hour walking in circles to stay warm, because the temperatures dropped drastically and the winds increased exponentially. I gave up waiting and decided I needed to be proactive if I was going to get a ride back before dark. Kind of hard to be proactive about getting a ride when you are all alone in an isolated area of the desert or so it seemed.

I had seen an RV in the distance. I was nervous that it might be one of those situations in the desert where you see a building in the distance but when you come up on it, it is an old weathered shack with the roof and some of the walls missing...but I took the walk out into the desert to the mystery RV. When I got near I could hear a generator running and saw that it was not a Ghost RV. I knocked on the door and a kind gentleman answered the door. His name is James. James asked me a lot of questions he later told me that was to be sure that I really did need the help.

I didn't know it but James had a car on the far side of the RV. I said to him you can't help me because I need a ride back to Dateland and I knew it takes quite a bit of time to get an RV all set up so I felt sure James would not be able to help but maybe he would be able to call someone or help in another way. He laughed and said that he had a vehicle on the other side of the RV and he would be happy to help me get back to Dateland.

On the way back he talked about his love for the solitude of the desert. He said that in the city he doesn't feel the depth in his prayers that he feels in the desert. He feels the quiet and intimacy with nature brings him closer to God. I could identify with what he was saying because walking in solitude is a meditation for me. I think that is why I can do my long walks because I am not in a hurry or rushing. I am walking quietly, present with my steps, each one. Some folks think to meditate is to be unaware of your surroundings but this is not so. I feel the sun on my back, I see the ant carrying his food back to his nest, I smell the sweet dusty smells of the desert. I ache, I breath, I step.

Day 9 Start: 40140 Old US 80, Tacna AZ 85352

Feb 1 Finish: Mohawk 1-8, Eastbound Rest Area, Roll, AZ 85347 13.9 miles

Day 10 Start: Mohawk 1-8 Eastbound Rest Area, Roll, AZ

Feb 2 Finish: 1737 Avenue 64 E, Dateland Travel Center, 11.6 miles

Dear All, On Friday the 31st I walked from Wellton to Tacna on old HWY 80. I had a chance to visit with the Wellton firefighters before I left and share the message about how to join Be The Match by texting LIFE to 61474! The old hotel in Tacna has been closed for at least 5 years. But there is a RV Park, Copper Mountain, across highway 8. They suggested that I put my tent across the road behind the park. I came up with a new strategy because the walk for Feb 1st is 15 miles. That's a long way for me to carry all of that weight. The folks at Copper Mountain thought that my tent would be safe all day while I walked. So I left my tent up, packed my small backpack filled it with a lot of water, some trail mix and my change of shoes and walked 14 of the 15 miles. A very nice man picked me up and drove me back to Copper Mountain where I am safe and sound in my tent again. I will be up early tomorrow to get ready for the walk to Dateland. You all enjoy the Super Bowl. 🙂

Dear All, Pat picked me up at Sans End RV Park at 9:30 am so we would be early for the Quechan Tribal Council. It was a busy morning for them. Lots of people coming and going. I told Pat that I didn't mind waiting because I didn't want to feel rushed. He agreed and we sat side by side sometimes chatting sometimes in silence until it was our turn. Pat introduced me when we were before the council. They were very attentive while I described the need for increased enrollment of Native Americans on the Be The Match registry, the process of donation, the ease of joining, and more about the Jada Bascom Foundation and my walk in the Sonoran Desert. They asked good questions and said that they thought that it was a personal decision for tribal members. They said it deserved more discussion and that they would be in touch with me to let me know decisions that are taken. Pat spoke as well he elaborated on my walk and my needs as I crossed the desert as well as helping us to connect with the other local tribes. We both felt really good about the meeting with the Quechan Tribal Council. Pat then took me to the store to get Clif bars, trail mix and sunscreen and then he took me back to the Microtel Inn and Suites in Wellton. It was sad to say goodbye to Pat Healy. I am grateful for all of his help and his wife, Sarah's, help to!

Rita Noronha, the general manager, at Microtel had said to stop by and see if they had a room available for me before I headed out for Tacna on Friday. She did have a room and as I thanked her she proudly said, "Of course, I am a Rotarian." I told her I am a member of the Deer Park Rotary Club. And both of us brighten a bit from the connection. We had hoped I would be able to attend her club meeting with the Yuma Crossing Rotary Club but unfortunately it was not to be. Thank you for your generosity Rita! It was great to have a good night's sleep before moving further out into the wilds of the desert.

Dear All, I have been fighting a cough and cold since the beginning of the walk. Because of the generosity of the general manager, Rita Noronha, of the Microtel I was able to rest until 5pm when Sarah Healy picked me up for my trip back to Winterhaven, CA to prepare for my meeting with the Quechan tribal council on Thursday. Angela and Hurley from the Sans End RV Park hosted me for another night. It was sweet to be greeted by a big smile from Angela when she saw me coming. Resting and healing, resting and healing, resting and healing.

Dear All, It was a beautiful walk with a very heavy backpack. I did not expect to find any place to get water in-between Ligurta Station and Wellton so I carried extra water. I did run into some farmworkers who let me fill up one of my water bottles from their water dispenser and they shared a delicious apple. As I was getting ready to enter Wellton I checked to see if there were any hotels and I found one. The Microtel Inn and Suites by Wyndham. I was surprised and relieved to learn that they would give me a room for the night. I thought it would be worth the extra two mile walk off my route to have a good night's sleep and a bath after spending the night in my tent. I walked a mile and a gentleman in a golf cart gave me a ride for the final mile to the Microtel. Once there I found it filled with young marines with whom I could share the simple message to text LIFE to 61474 to join Be The Match and become a potential life saving donor.

Dear All, It was wonderful to have a good nights sleep at the Comfort Inn thanks to the generosity of Mary Ellen. I started my approximately 10 mile walk over the lower pass below Telegraph Pass to Ligurta Station with excitement. The pass isn't that high but I was looking forward to to the challenge. After about 6 miles I was low on water as I expected. There were two choices for me to go to looking for water. There was a parking lot with folks hiking the Telegraph Pass trail and there was the border patrol checkpoint station. I thought it made sense to stop by the border patrol for two reasons first to ask for water and second to be sure they knew who I was and what I was doing, like a courtesy stop. After introducing myself I discovered it was a good thing I had decided to go to the border patrol checkpoint station. They had been watching my progress across the highway and would have sent someone to check on me if I had not stopped on my own. They were quite concerned about me and my intention of walking across the desert. They asked me to wait to talk to an officer from the highway patrol. The officer politely told me that I could not walk on the highway over the pass but that he would take me the 4 miles to Ligurta Station. Ligurta Station has a general store and RV Park and it is closed on Mondays. I was able to talk to some folks who suggested that I set my tent up across the street. I was able to charge my phone in a covered picnic area and a dear man named Frank shared a Salmon fillet with me for dinner.

Dear All, It felt good to be walking again. I walked to the Fortuna Foothills. It is still officially part of Yuma but close to the base of Telegraph Pass. Being Sunday the side roads I took were pretty quiet. I had previewed the route and saw lots of businesses along the way but as I said this was Sunday and it was an industrial section of Yuma so every one of the businesses was closed. It doesn't take long to run out of water in the desert. And I knew I needed water soon. I spotted a few cars parked in front of one of the industrial buildings as I crossed the street a security guard drove over to me. After explaining my walk and the fact that I needed water she quickly obliged. As we talked Chastity, the security guard, said that she also works at the Crossroads Mission. Funny how small things can connect strangers. We were instant old pals. It felt good. Towards the end of the day's walk I started to ask RV Parks if I could pitch my tent in a corner of their property somewhere. What I found out is that managers of RV Parks take Sundays off. On the forth try I was walking through an RV Park headed toward the office when I heard a voice inquire, "What are you doing?" I walked over to find Mary Ellen sitting in a lawn chair in the shade of her motor home. After introductions she invited me to sit. Upon hearing my story she went and got her purse and gave me a $10.00 donation for the Jada Bascom Foundation. Mary Ellen was one step ahead of me all night. Her son-in-law is a professional hiker and he told her about trail angels. Mary Ellen became my trail angel and met my needs without me having to even ask for help. First she fed me a late lunch/early dinner, then she took me to the Comfort Inn and paid for a suite for me to stay in overnight and finally she took me to Fry's Market for Clif Bars and dried mangoes. Wow! Dear Mary Ellen I don't know if you will see this but I hope you know how much your generosity and caring meant and continues to mean to me!

Dear All, I woke up early at the Crossroads Mission. I was able to shower, do laundry and have some breakfast and still leave by 9:30 am. I am grateful to everyone at Crossroads for giving me a safe place to sleep and letting me get cleaned up. I walked a short distance to the La Fuentes Inn and Suites, just over 2 miles. I stopped at IHOP along the way and they gave me an egg and a pancake. I guess I was pretty hungry after yesterday's walk. La Fuentes Inn and Suites gave me a room for the night. Thank you so much for helping me again! Since I am back in Yuma and not in San Luis as planned I worked on my walking schedule to set the routes, starting points and stopping points for the next week of the walk. I feel refreshed and ready to begin again. PS Thanks to In N Out Burgers for dinner

Dear All, The first day of the walk was a day that brought the unexpected. I started the Third Steps To-Marrow walk at Yuma City Fire Department, Station 1. Channel 11 News KYMA was present to conduct interviews. Pat Healy and his wife Sarah were also there. The firefighters that weren't out on calls also came out to see me off. I will post the web address for the news footage as soon as we get it. After walking for a couple of hours I stopped by a Dairy Queen to see if I could get some thing to eat. I didn't realize this particular Dairy Queen just served ice cream. I thanked the woman helping me and said I better have something more substantial. She was moved by Jada's story and said that I should stop by Arby's down the road. She called ahead so they would feed me when I got there. I found out later that her name was Kim. She and the employees at Arby's took good care of me. Sarah Healy met me at Arby's and walked a couple of hours with me. I enjoyed having her with me on the first day of the walk. When Sarah headed back I had about 4 miles to the Cocopah Casino where I planned to end the walk for the day. I had called the Cocopah Casino the day before to see if I could put up my tent with their RV's. The gentleman that I spoke with thought it would be okay and told me to ask for a floor manager when I arrived. Sadly, that didn't work out for me so with my thumb out I was picked up by a kind young man who took me to the San Luis Fire Station. Unfortunately, after I had settled down for the night the firefighters were asked to take me to the Crossroads Mission back in Yuma. So at 9 pm I repacked my gear and back to Yuma I went. I was pretty tired when I finally laid down on the mat that was provided to me by the mission

• TAGS (EDIT) be the match, bone marrow donor, jada bascom foundation, jeana moore, leukemia, steps to-marrow 3

Dear All, The last day for Preparations before the third Steps To-Marrow walk begins tomorrow was a very busy day, lots of people to talk to and lots of walking in-between. The most important encounter for me was with the Quechan Tribal Council Secretary, Regina Escalanti. I was pleased to learn that they were expecting me and knew about my request to begin the walk on Quechan tribal lands, at the Yuma Health Center, thanks to the preparation work of my friend Pat Healy. Pat helped our family when Jada was in the fight of her life against Acute Myeoloid Leukemia. He was President of Bikers Fighting Cancer at the time. They helped our family with things like gas money to get to Seattle to be with Jada when she had her bone marrow transplant. If you have experienced a medical crisis and the financial distress that strikes the family along with the heartache and worry for your loved one then you will understand the tremendous gift that acts of loving kindness bring. That's what Pat and so many others who reached out to help us brought to our family through acts of caring. So with Pat's help again I met with Regina. She spoke with members of the Quechan tribal council and they invited me to come to the council meeting on Thursday Jan 30th. So someone will come to pick me up along the road on Wednesday afternoon and bring me back to Winterhaven so I can attend the council meeting. Auspicious beginnings

• TAGS (EDIT) acute myeoloid leukemia, be the match, bone marrow transplant, jada bascom foundation, stem cell donors

Dear All, I walked from Yuma, AZ to Winterhaven, CA I will be making the same walk in reverse on Friday morning when I begin the Steps To-Marrow walk across the Sonoran Desert.

I stopped by the Yuma City Hall and arranged to make a request to Mayor Douglas Nicholls to propose a Stem Cell/Bone Marrow Donor Awareness Day. I also met with Fire Chief Steve Irr. Chief Irr gave me his card and said that if I need help to call him and he will make sure I get help! He also said that he would share the simple but important message about why and how to join Be The Match by texting LIFE to 61474 with the fire fighters this side of Telegraph Pass.

When I arrived in Winterhaven CA I visited Yuma Regional Medical Center. The administrative folks that I needed to see were in meetings off site but I expect to make headway with them later today. I would like permission to start the walk at the medical center. I'd also like to train someone at the center to show others how to join Be The Match using their cell phone, emphasizing the need for diversity. Lastly I would like to find the right person to be in touch with Aubrie Vargas the amazing Be The Match Community Engagement Representative for this area.

The part of the day that really warmed my heart was my search for a safe place to sleep. I had been trying to to reach the right person at the Quechan Casino and Hotel throughout the day, when I learned that I would not be able to stay the sun was already low in the sky. I looked for the nearest fire station and walked over to the Imperial Valley Fire Dept Station 8. They were really great but not able to help either. I asked if there was an RV Park near where I could pitch my tent. One of the firefighters pointed to a line of palm trees in the distance.

So off I went again further from my starting point for the walk with the sun sinking lower and lower. I arrived at Sans End RV Park to find the office closed. I saw some lights on in the game room. When I walked past the window toward the door I could see they were in the middle of Bible study. I apologized for the interruption and explained my situation. Everyone was so warm and welcoming even though I could tell from their initial facial reactions I was a strange sight to behold, with my enormous backpack, standing on their door step. Not only did they welcome me they allowed me to stay in an empty apartment for the next two days until the beginning of the walk!

Here's to another good nights sleep safe and sound because of the generosity of others.

• TAGS (EDIT) be the match, bone marrow donor, bone marrow transplant, enroll diverse donors, leukemia, stem cell donation

Dear All, It felt good to be walking again. I walked to the Fortuna Foothills. It is still officially part of Yuma but close to the base of Telegraph Pass. Being Sunday the side roads I took were pretty quiet. I had previewed the route and saw lots of businesses along the way but as I said this was Sunday and it was an industrial section of Yuma so every one of the businesses was closed. It doesn't take long to run out of water in the desert. And I knew I needed water soon. I spotted a few cars parked in front of one of the industrial buildings as I crossed the street a security guard drove over to me. After explaining my walk and the fact that I needed water she quickly obliged. As we talked Chastity, the security guard, said that she also works at the Crossroads Mission. Funny how small things can connect strangers. We were instant old pals. It felt good. Towards the end of the day's walk I started to ask RV Parks if I could pitch my tent in a corner of their property somewhere. What I found out is that managers of RV Parks take Sundays off. On the forth try I was walking through an RV Park headed toward the office when I heard a voice inquire, "What are you doing?" I walked over to find Mary Ellen sitting in a lawn chair in the shade of her motor home. After introductions she invited me to sit. Upon hearing my story she went and got her purse and gave me a $10.00 donation for the Jada Bascom Foundation. Mary Ellen was one step ahead of me all night. Her son-in-law is a professional hiker and he told her about trail angels. Mary Ellen became my trail angel and met my needs without me having to even ask for help. First she fed me a late lunch/early dinner, then she took me to the Comfort Inn and paid for a suite for me to stay in overnight and finally she took me to Fry's Market for Clif Bars and dried mangoes. Wow! Dear Mary Ellen I don't know if you will see this but I hope you know how much your generosity and caring meant and continues to mean to me!

Dear All, I woke up early at the Crossroads Mission. I was able to shower, do laundry and have some breakfast and still leave by 9:30 am. I am grateful to everyone at Crossroads for giving me a safe place to sleep and letting me get cleaned up. I walked a short distance to the La Fuentes Inn and Suites, just over 2 miles. I stopped at IHOP along the way and they gave me an egg and a pancake. I guess I was pretty hungry after yesterday's walk. La Fuentes Inn and Suites gave me a room for the night. Thank you so much for helping me again! Since I am back in Yuma and not in San Luis as planned I worked on my walking schedule to set the routes, starting points and stopping points for the next week of the walk. I feel refreshed and ready to begin again. PS Thanks to In N Out Burgers for dinner!

Dear All, The first day of the walk was a day that brought the unexpected. I started the Third Steps To-Marrow walk at Yuma City Fire Department, Station 1. Channel 11 News KYMA was present to conduct interviews. Pat Healy and his wife Sarah were also there. The firefighters that weren't out on calls also came out to see me off. I will post the web address for the news footage as soon as we get it. After walking for a couple of hours I stopped by a Dairy Queen to see if I could get some thing to eat. I didn't realize this particular Dairy Queen just served ice cream. I thanked the woman helping me and said I better have something more substantial. She was moved by Jada's story and said that I should stop by Arby's down the road. She called ahead so they would feed me when I got there. I found out later that her name was Kim. She and the employees at Arby's took good care of me. Sarah Healy met me at Arby's and walked a couple of hours with me. I enjoyed having her with me on the first day of the walk. When Sarah headed back I had about 4 miles to the Cocopah Casino where I planned to end the walk for the day. I had called the Cocopah Casino the day before to see if I could put up my tent with their RV's. The gentleman that I spoke with thought it would be okay and told me to ask for a floor manager when I arrived. Sadly, that didn't work out for me so with my thumb out I was picked up by a kind young man who took me to the San Luis Fire Station. Unfortunately, after I had settled down for the night the firefighters were asked to take me to the Crossroads Mission back in Yuma. So at 9 pm I repacked my gear and back to Yuma I went. I was pretty tired when I finally laid down on the mat that was provided to me by the mission

Dear All, The last day for Preparations before the third Steps To-Marrow walk begins tomorrow was a very busy day, lots of people to talk to and lots of walking in-between. The most important encounter for me was with the Quechan Tribal Council Secretary, Regina Escalanti. I was pleased to learn that they were expecting me and knew about my request to begin the walk on Quechan tribal lands, at the Yuma Health Center, thanks to the preparation work of my friend Pat Healy. Pat helped our family when Jada was in the fight of her life against Acute Myeoloid Leukemia. He was President of Bikers Fighting Cancer at the time. They helped our family with things like gas money to get to Seattle to be with Jada when she had her bone marrow transplant. If you have experienced a medical crisis and the financial distress that strikes the family along with the heartache and worry for your loved one then you will understand the tremendous gift that acts of loving kindness bring. That's what Pat and so many others who reached out to help us brought to our family through acts of caring. So with Pat's help again I met with Regina. She spoke with members of the Quechan tribal council and they invited me to come to the council meeting on Thursday Jan 30th. So someone will come to pick me up along the road on Wednesday afternoon and bring me back to Winterhaven so I can attend the council meeting. Auspicious beginnings

Dear All, I walked from Yuma, AZ to Winterhaven, CA I will be making the same walk in reverse on Friday morning when I begin the Steps To-Marrow walk across the Sonoran Desert. I stopped by the Yuma City Hall and arranged to make a request to Mayor Douglas Nicholls to propose a Stem Cell/Bone Marrow Donor Awareness Day. I also met with Fire Chief Steve Irr. Chief Irr gave me his card and said that if I need help to call him and he will make sure I get help! He also said that he would share the simple but important message about why and how to join Be The Match by texting LIFE to 61474 with the fire fighters this side of Telegraph Pass. When I arrived in Winterhaven CA I visited Yuma Regional Medical Center. The administrative folks that I needed to see were in meetings off site but I expect to make headway with them later today. I would like permission to start the walk at the medical center. I'd also like to train someone at the center to show others how to join Be The Match using their cell phone, emphasizing the need for diversity. Lastly I would like to find the right person to be in touch with Aubrie Vargas the amazing Be The Match Community Engagement Representative for this area. The part of the day that really warmed my heart was my search for a safe place to sleep. I had been trying to to reach the right person at the Quechan Casino and Hotel throughout the day, when I learned that I would not be able to stay the sun was already low in the sky. I looked for the nearest fire station and walked over to the Imperial Valley Fire Dept Station 8. They were really great but not able to help either. I asked if there was an RV Park near where I could pitch my tent. One of the firefighters pointed to a line of palm trees in the distance. So off I went again further from my starting point for the walk with the sun sinking lower and lower. I arrived at Sans End RV Park to find the office closed. I saw some lights on in the game room. When I walked past the window toward the door I could see they were in the middle of Bible study. I apologized for the interruption and explained my situation. Everyone was so warm and welcoming even though I could tell from their initial facial reactions I was a strange sight to behold, with my enormous backpack, standing on their door step. Not only did they welcome me they allowed me to stay in an empty apartment for the next two days until the beginning of the walk! Here's to another good nights sleep safe and sound because of the generosity of others.

Dear All, I left Glendale, AZ this morning on a Greyhound bus and arrived in Yuma at 1:30 this afternoon. I was able to see a small part of my route between Gila Bend and Yuma from the bus window. I have been a bit worried about walking through the Sonoran Desert but having seen parts of it I feel much more comfortable about my ability to successfully and safely complete the third Steps To-Marrow walk.

After arriving in Yuma I began my search for a safe place to stay for the night. As most of my followers know I do not walk with any cash or credit cards rather I rely on the generosity of others for my food and housing every day. After asking for a room at 5 hotels the Fuentes Inn and Suites, 1513 E. 16th St., Yuma, AZ, generosity offered me a room for the night.

No request is futile. I was able to share how important it is to join Be The Match and how to join with everyone I talked with. I suggested that they share the information about joining by texting LIFE to 61474, with employees in the break room or in a newsletter, etc. Even though they were not able to help me with a room all responded enthusiastically about sharing the simple but important details about how to join Be The Match and become a potential bone marrow donor.

Thank you all for your support of the Jada Bascom Foundation's mission of enrolling stem cell and bone marrow donors to save the lives of patients in need of a bone marrow transplant. Please do share Text LIFE to 61474 with your friends, family and co-workers and be part of our life-saving efforts!

With deep gratitude, Jeana Moore Jada Bascom Foundation

Dear All, I am now in Phoenix, AZ getting ready for the third Jada Bascom Foundation Steps To-Marrow walk. I am pleased to have the help of my sisters, Mona and Melinda. I've been shopping at REI for much needed supplies, like socks that guarantee no blisters. And I am walking every day with my backpack to prepare for the long miles ahead. I have the honor of working with Aubrie Vargas York, Be The Match Community Engagement Representative, on enrolling potential bone marrow donors along my route. I will make my way down to Winterhaven, CA in Monday, Jan 20 or Tuesday, Jan 21. The walk will start on Friday, Jan 24 at the Fort Yuma Health Center.

I hope you will follow my journey across the Sonoran Desert while I enroll potential bone marrow donors to save the lives of patients in need of a bone marrow transplant. And share our story with your friends. That's how you can help us to save lives! If you are not already a member of the Be The Match, national marrow donor program and you are between the ages of 18 and 60 just text LIFE to 61474 and start your Be The Match journey today!

Jeana Moore, CEO of the Jada Bascom Foundation, will once more be taking STEPS TO MARROW, this time by walking through the state of Arizona to promote the need of donors for the lifesaving gift of bone marrow donation and enlist as many donors as possible. She has chosen Arizona as Latinx and Native Americans are among the least-represented populations and the need for donors is critical. She has also chosen to start her walk in Yuma, Arizona to honor her friend Patrick Healy, former President of Bikers Fighting Cancer, who offered such tremendous support for Jada when she was a critically-ill infant, and continues to work his magic today by aiding in coordinating Jeana's walk.

If you would like to offer support for Jeana by walking with her for a portion of her journey, walk for pledges, offer meals, water, or a place Jeana may pitch her tent please fill out the form below below the proposed route.

Steps To-Marrow Walk 2020

Color meaning

• Black - Days Jeana welcomes you to walk with her
• Green - Days for bone marrow drives, education, and rest
• Red - Jeana must walk alone

DUE TO SOME UNAVOIDABLE TRAVEL RESTRICTIONS JEANA HAS HAD TO CHANGE PART OF HER ROUTE. UPDATED ROUTE IS BELOW.

Day 1 Start: Yuma Fire Station 1, S. 3rd Ave, Yuma, AZ

Jan 24 Finish: Cocopah Casino, 15318 S Avenue B, Somerton, AZ 85350

10.9 Miles

Day 2 Start: Crossroads Mission 944 S Arizona Ave, Yuma, AZ 85364

Jan 25 Finish: La Fuente Inn and Suites, 1513 E 16th St, Yuma, AZ 85365

2.3 Miles

Day 3 Start: La Fuente Inn and Suites, 1513 E 16th St, Yuma, AZ 85365

Jan 26 Finish: Caravan Oasis RV Resort, 10500 N Frontage Rd, Yuma, AZ 85365

11 Miles

Day 4 ACTUAL: Start: Comfort Inn, 10553 S. Fortuna RD, Yuma, AZ 85367 Gift from Mary Ellen (Caravan Oasis RV Resort, 10500 N Frontage Rd, Yuma, AZ 85365)

.6 Miles

Jan 27 Finish: Ligurta, AZ, 19702 E Hwy 80, Wellton, AZ 85356

4 mile forced ride, actual 6.1 Miles

Day 5 Start: 19702 E Hwy 80, Wellton, AZ 85356 (Ligurta, AZ)

Jan 28 Finish: 29118 Los Angeles Ave, Wellton, AZ 85356

11.5 Miles

Day 6 Healing day. Rest at Microtel Inn

Jan 29 Wellton (ride back to Yuma)

Day 7 Quechan Council meeting

Jan 30 Winterhaven, CA

Note: Following meeting get ride back to Tacna

Day 8 Start: 29118 Los Angeles Ave, Wellton, AZ 85356

Jan 31 Finish: 40140 Old US 80, Tacna, AZ 85352 (Volunteer Fire Dept) Actual Copper Mountain RV Park, Tacna

12.1 Miles

Day 9 Start: Copper Mountain RV Park, Tacna

Feb 1 Finish: Mohawk I-8 West bound Rest Area, Roll, AZ 85347

14.2 Miles

Day 10 Start: Mohawk I-8 West bound Rest Area, Roll, AZ 85347

Feb 2 Finish: 1737 Ave 64 E, Dateland, AZ 85333, Dateland Travel Center

11.6 Miles

Day 11 Start: 1737 Ave 64 E, Dateland, AZ 85333

Feb 3 Finish: 2 miles past Spot Rd, Dateland, AZ 85333

14.0 Miles

Day 12 Start: 14 miles from Dateland travel Center

Feb 4. Finish: 7 miles past Sentinel exit Agua Caliente mile marker 94.

12. 5 Miles

TOTAL MILES WALKED TO DATE: 106.8

UPDATE DAY 13, FEB 6 - DAY 30, FEB 22

Day 13. Advance to Gila Bend. Walk if possible Feb 5. Short walk: Love's Travel Stop, 820 W Pima St, Gila Bend, AZ 85337 to Shell Gas Station, Butterfield Trail

4.2 Miles

Day 14 Start: Mile marker 94

Feb 6 Finish: Mile Marker 106 Approx

12.5 Miles

Day 15 Start: I-8, Dateland, AZ 85333

Feb 7 Finish: Love's Travel Stop, 820 W Pima St, Gila Bend, AZ 85337

10.9 Miles

Total 134.4

Day 16 Spread the word day/Rest Gila Bend (Bone Marrow Drive?)

Feb 8

Day 17 Start: Shell Gas Station, Butterfield Trail

Feb 9 Finish: 12 miles into desert on I-8

12.5 Miles

Day 18 Start: 12 miles into the desert on I-8

Feb 10 Finish: Freeman road exit I-8

13 Miles

Day 19 Start: Freeman road exit I-8

Feb 11 Finish: Saguaro One RV Park, I-8

11.9 Miles

Day 20 Start: Saguaro One RV Park, I-8

Feb 12    Finish: between mile marker 158 and 159

7.8 miles

Day 21    Start: I10 & I8 interchange heading west

4 miles

Start again: between mile marker 158 and 159

Feb 13  Finish Montgomery Road

8.5 miles

Day 22    Start: Motel 6 Sunland Gin Road, Eloy Note: Walk pathway along I-8, out and back

Feb 14 Finish: Love's Travel Stop, Sunland Gin Rd, Eloy, AZ. Short walk and bone marrow day.

9.6 miles

Total to date 201.7 miles

Day 23 Start: Love's Travel Stop, Sunland Gin Rd, Eloy, AZ.

Feb 15 Finish: Eloy Fire District, Station 521

10.8 miles

Day 24 Start: Eloy Fire District, Station 521

Feb 16    Finish:  13 miles on Camino Adelante Along I-10.

13 Miles

Day 25    Start: 13 miles on Camino Adelante

Feb 17. Finish: East Missile Base Road and N. Casa Grande Hwy

11.3 miles

Day 26 Start: East Missle Base Road and N. Casa Grande Hwy

Feb 18 Finish: N. Casa Grande HWY and W. Avra Valley Rd.

12.5 Miles

Day 27 Start: N. Casa Grande HWY and W Avra Valley Road

Feb 19  Finish: Circle K, N. Romero Rd, Tucson

12.4 miles

Total Miles to Date: 261.7

Day 28    Laundry, reroute walk to Phoenix

Feb 20    Rest

Day 29 Spread the word day/rest, check with Banner University Medical Center

Feb 21

Day 30    Start: Banner University Medical Center, 1625 N. Campbell Ave, Tucson, AZ

Feb 22 To Circle K. N. Romano Rd, Tucson

Finish: 1-10 Frontage Road West side of the HWY and Ina Rd, Tucson

11.9 miles

Day 31 Start: I-10 Frontage Road and Ina Rd.

Feb 23 Finish: W Barnett Rd, Marana, AZ 85658

12.5 miles

Day 32 Start: W. Barnett Rd, Marama, AZ 85658

Feb 24 Finish: I-10 Frontage Road Camino Adelante at Red Rock exit

11.8 miles

Day 33: Start: I-10 Frontage Road Camino Adelante at Red Rock exit

Feb 25 Finish Camino Adelante, Ricacho, AZ

12.1 miles

Day 34 Start: Camino Adelante, Picacho, AZ

Feb 26 Finish: W. Frontier Street and Toltec Rd, Eloy, AZ

12.3 miles

Day 35 Start: W. Frontier Street and Toltec Rd, Eloy, AZ

Stop: Banner Casa Grande Medical Center, Casa Grande, Pica Hwy and S Henness Rd.

8.9 miles

Feb 27 Finish: 777 N Pinal Ave, Casa Grande, AZ 85122, Holiday Inn Casa Grande, AZ 85122

3.0 miles

Day 36 Start: 777 N Pinal Ave, Casa Grande, AZ 85122, Holiday Inn Casa Grande, AZ 85122

Feb 28 Finish: Sacaton Rest Area I-10 Casa Grande

11.4 miles

Day 37 Start: Sacaton Rest Area I-10 Casa Grande

Feb 29 Finish: Hwy 587 and Gila Butte Circle, Chandler, AZ

10.9 miles

Day 38 Start: Hwy 587 and Gila Butte Circle, Chandler, AZ

Mar 1 Finish: Chancler Regional Medical Center, 1955 W. Frye Rd.

11.5 miles

Day 39 Spread the Word Day/ Rest, Bone Marrow Drive, Chandler Regional Medical Center

Mar 2 Walk to University of Arizona, Chandler Campus, 125 E. Commonwealth Ave, Chandler, AZ 85225

2.6 miles

Day 40 Start: University of Arizona, 125 E. Commonwealth Ave, Chandler, AZ 85225

11.4 miles

Mar 3 Finish: 1450 Apache Blvd, Tempe, AZ, 85281, Tempe Fire Dept, Station 1

Day 41 Spread the word day/Rest, Bone Marrow Drive, Tempe Fire Station 1

Mar 4 Walk to ASU Tempe Campus

.7 miles

Day 42 Start: ASU Tempe Campus, 1151 S. Forest Ave, Tempe

Mar 5 Finish: Scottsdale C.C., 9000 Chaparral Rd., Scottsdale, AZ

8 miles

Day 43 Scottsdale C.C., 9000 Chaparral Rd., Scottsdale, AZ

Mar 6 Finish: 1919 E Thomas Rd, Phoenix, AZ 85016, Phoenix Children's Hospital

10.4 miles

Approximate from Tucson Banner Hospital 139.4 miles

Approximate Total Miles 401.1

Day 43 Spread the word day/Rest, Bone Marrow Drive, Phoenix Children’s Hospital

Mar 8

Important Reminder:

If you choose to walk with Jeana please wear a safety vest of a bright, fluorescent color and arrange for a ride to pick you up at the end of your journey. She plans to walk from approximately 9:00 am till 5 pm daily, and will post updates of changes as needed.

In the message portion please indicate how you will be supporting Jeana

• EXAMPLES
• I will walk with Jeana on (date) for (number of miles) and I will meet her at (location).
• I will meet Jeana (date and location) with (food, water, etc.).
• I will offer my home/yard for tent for a night of rest for Jeana.
• I will recruit pledges for my walk with Jeana to donate to the Jada Bascom Foundation for each mile I walk. Should you choose to do this, there is an additional form below for your convenience.
• I will do a Facebook fundraiser for the Jada Bascom Foundation.