South Florida Man Goes Above the Clouds" to Hike 2,168 Miles on Behalf of Kids Without Fathers

Miami man to hike 2,168 miles of the Appalachian Trail June 1, 2004, to author "Above the Clouds", a book containing 30 whimsical and inspiring short stories paralleling the experience of his solo hike to children growing up without their fathers.

(PRWEB) May 7, 2004 --William "Spanky" Bateman of Miami, FL is the creator of special public awareness hikes called Hike4Kids. Spanky", Williams trail name, came about because of his resemblance to the inquisitive child television character Spanky from Spanky and the Gang. Bateman and his wife Elaine are former missionaries with Youth for Christ and have worked extensively with teens living in families torn apart by separation, divorce, death and remarriage, and are the parents of a blended family of ten. The Batemans also are associated with the nationally recognized outreach ministry DivorceCare as facilitators of DC Seminars aiding individuals experiencing the ravages of separation and divorce.

In 2002 Bateman hiked 1,000 miles of the Appalachian Trail on behalf of abused and abandoned children. His second Hike4Kids is on behalf of fatherless children, beginning June 1, 2004, and will be a much more challenging undertaking. Bateman will hike the same trails full length, a distance of more than 2,168 miles, starting at Mt. Kitahdin, Maine, heading south through the Presidential Range in New Hampshire, on to Vermont and continuing his hike through eleven additional states, ending his effort in northern Georgia at Springer Mountain. Physically and emotionally challenging, Batemans solo hike will take him more than 5½ months to complete, summiting 152 mountains including the highest peaks in the eastern United States. He expects losing more than 60 pounds in body weight.

Reflecting on his childhood, Bateman tells of sneaking out of his bedroom window in the middle of the night to literally run" 20 - 25 miles trying escape from the pressures of a dysfunctional family life. Bateman credits his running away" as a way of coping but leaving him empty inside. Bateman claims that a mature and seasoned mentor coming alongside of him as a young man would have aided his better transitioning into adulthood. Those reflections are compelling reasons for his second effort to Hike4Kids." He is authoring an inspirational and whimsical book made up of 30 short stories titled Above the Clouds", written for kids without fathers and encouraging them to hike above their circumstances. Bateman believes hiking the Appalachian Trail solo over the toughest terrain in North America will help provide added insight into what a child experiences growing up hiking through life without a father. Bateman plans to distribute the book to youth ranches and foster homes across America.

Bateman has a website http://hike.pgmradio.org where he talks about the adventures he and his family have been through as a blended family and where sponsors can go to make donations toward his 2,168-mile Hike4Kids. Bateman is asking for sponsorships of $21.68 or $.01 per mile of his hike. Bateman needs 506 sponsors to fund his effort to Hike4Kids. His story is both inspirational and moving. The dedication he and his wife Elaine have made through mentoring and ministering to children without fathers is an amazing journey itself. You can follow Spankys Hike4Kids by reading his online Journal as he Hike4Kids kids across America too.

Contact:
William Spanky" Bateman
hike4kids@pgmradio.org
http://hike.pgmradio.org
Miami, FL
(305) 271-9638