Two Stowe hikers, 272 miles for a Laraway cause

Hiking the full length of the Long Trail is something that Tim Heath-Swanson has been planning for two years to mark his 50th birthday — which was in April — but didn’t want to hike the trail just for fun.

“I’ve always done day hikes, but I’ve always been interested in the Long Trail,” he said, looking at the map of the trail that Rick Swanson had stuck to a wall in their house for inspiration. “I thought, why not do a little good out of it as well?”

Rick and Tim connected with Laraway Youth and Family Services — a nonprofit organization based in Johnson, dedicated to building on the strengths of children and youth with emotional, behavioral and mental health challenges — through a member of St. John’s, Duncan Tingle, who was also president of the Laraway board at the time.

“Board members are encouraged to reach out to people in their community, and help make connections for the school,” said Katherine Stamper, development director at Laraway. “Duncan connected us with St. John’s in the Mountains.”

Rick and Tim talked to the school about setting up a scholarship fund at the school.

The hikers didn’t want it to be a scholarship for just anything, though. Tim has a background in information technology, and got his start in the field through a vocational-technical high school program. Now, he works in the information technology department at Dartmouth College.

Many kids at Laraway don’t have traditional family supports to get them into a vo-tech program like the one Tim attended, so Rick and Tim decided to support students who want further education in the trades or technical fields.

The hope is to raise $10,000 to be dispersed to kids at Laraway in annual $500 grants to two students each year.

These scholarships can be applied toward tuition, professional equipment required for the program, books or transportation in the students’ pursuit of an education in information technology, culinary arts, electrical, carpentry, plumbing, auto mechanics, aviation mechanics, welding, construction management, nursing or dental hygiene.

Students can pursue these fields at Vermont Technical College, the Community College of Vermont, New England Culinary Institute or another institution approved by Rick and Tim.

It is open to two kids a year who are seniors at Laraway or who graduated within the last five years, and students may reapply each year as long as they are still within the age range.

“Laraway students have untapped skills and gifts for life,” Rick said. “The Trailblazer Fund will provide a path forward into their future.”

“It’s all about the at-risk kids,” Tim said. “All other kids in the area have options to go to Green Mountain Tech,” or other vocational schools.

All applications will funnel through Laraway, but Rick and Tim get the final say on who gets the scholarships.

“We get to read all of the applications, and meet with the applicants,” Rick said. “We’d like to be more than just a grantor arm, and be mentors as well.”

At this point, Rick and Tim have raised a little over $3,000 — enough to run the program for three years — and they hope to raise the rest before or while on their three-and-a-half week trip.

Food preparations for the journey are nearly complete as Tim works to dehydrate or freeze-dry items like peppers and onions, potatoes and more, and purchase foods that he can’t dehydrate himself, like freeze-dried yogurt and dried meats.

“Every day, Tim comes up with new things, and he’s currently playing with combinations of homemade and store-bought foods,” Rick said. “One thing we will have on the trail is sweet-and-sour chicken. How many hikers can say that?”

There are four drop boxes set up along the trail where the couple’s family and friends will leave food for them to pick up. That way, they won’t have to carry three weeks’ worth of food with them.

“We are just trying to keep it fun and focus on the kids,” Tim said. “I think we should average about 11 miles a day.”

The hikers will host a trail-themed photo reception to support the Trailblazer Scholarship at Laraway Youth & Family Services, 275 Route 15 West, Johnson, on Wednesday, Sept. 14, from 4 to 5:30 p.m. Anyone planning to attend is asked to RSVP by Sept. 12 to Katherine Stamper at 802-635-2805, ext. 106, or kstamper@laraway.org.

Photos at the reception will showcase activities that the students do, especially with trails. Historically, the kids at Laraway have helped maintain hiking trails at state parks; this summer, they helped maintain a section of the Lamoille Valley Rail Trail.

For those looking to make a gift, there are suggested categories: trail angels, 10 cents per mile ($27.20); day hikers, 15 cents per mile ($40.80); section leaders, 20 cents per mile ($54.40); or thru hikers, 50 cents per mile ($136).

Any other amounts toward the $10,000 is appreciated. To keep the scholarship going for years to come, Rick and Tim plan more fundraising events in the future.

“We’d all like to express appreciation to Father Rick and Tim for reinforcing the concept of continued education,” Stamper said. “It’s nice for kids to know that somebody else out there cares about them."