On June 15th, 17 year old Mark Flournoy sets off from Raleigh-Durham airport with 9 other Scouts and their leaders from Troop 845 on a flight to Madrid. They will spend the next five weeks hiking over 500 miles on the historic El Camino de Santiago trail across the north of Spain. Mark is the son of Entex CEO, Wayne Flournoy, and is embarking on his second major High Adventure trip, having cycled with the same group across the US from Maryland to Puget Sound last summer.
He and the other young men have embarked on this new epic journey as a fundraiser for the Lineberger Cancer Center at UNC. Last year’s cycle20ten bicycle ride across the country raised over $26,000 for the Lineberger Cancer Center. This effort was significant enough to warrant receipt of the 2010 Youth Philanthropic Award for North Carolina. They hope to beat last year’s fundraising with this new effort.
After having set the BSA record for longest bike ride last year, the group is trying to break the current BSA record for the longest backpacking trip with this hike. They’ll need to average about 16 to 18 miles a day, carrying everything they need in their backpacks, and sleeping in tents at night. You can follow their progress across the country with live GPS tracking on their website, along with a daily blog and photos. You can also donate in their honor on the website.