MOUNT UNION, HUNTINGDON COUNTY - The Thousand Steps trail was originally designed for rock quarry workers to travel to and from their quarry near Mount Union.
Most recently, it was used to raise awareness and money for four children diagnosed with cancer in Huntingdon County.
Cynthia Fagan, age 7, Destiny Devlin, age 13, Wade Stains, age 13, and Kristy Bookwalter, age 15 have all been diagnosed with cancer.
"It's not going to beat me," says 15-year old Kristy Bookwalter. "I'm going to climb those steps," she added.
At least 300 people showed for what organizers called the "Hike for Hope" walk, bringing donations and walking the 1,036 steps to raise awareness.
Bookwalter's mother, Tonya, said her daughter's cancer diagnosis has been hard on the family, but maintains her fighting spirit.
"You don't realize how hard it is until it affects your family," she said. "Every day is emotional and you just have to fight, you fight every day, and she's going to fight and she's going to beat it, just like the other three kids, they're going to do the same."
One of the organizers behind the event, Jeremy Krouse, a founder of Planet LoveJoy, says the four children are an inspiration to him.
"Every adult can learn so much from these kids," he said. "They're fighters, there's nothing holding those kids back from battling cancer and being victorious."
The Mount Union Wesleyan Church also helped organize the Hike For Hope Thousand Stepswalk.
If you would like to donate to the families of 4 children diagnosed with cancer, you can send your donations to:
Hike For Hope
Mount Union Wesleyan Church
609 South Jefferson Street
Mount Union, PA 17066
