Appalacian Trail Hike 4 COS - A 2,201-mile Journey of Friendship Sends Cancer Kids to Camp
Camp One Step's overarching mission is to "EMPOWER KIDS WHO HAVE CANCER, ENCOURAGING THEM TO TAKE ON THE WORLD!"and they did just that with Coby Bassin, 23-year-old nurse from Glenview, IL and Trevor Dralle, 23-year-old tree specialist from Brookfield, Wisconsin who are taking on the world, or at least 2,201 miles of the Appalachian Trail, starting on Springer Mountain in Georgia, through 14 states up the east coast and finishing at Katahdin Mountain in NW Maine, in what they hope will take only 6 months!
Coby and Trevor met at sleep away camp in Williams Bay, Wisconsin, through the Camp One Step Summer Camp Program. They were both 8-year-old Leukemia patients in remission and ended up in the same cabin in 2008 and became fast friends. They stayed cabin mates for the next 10 years in every program they were lucky enough to participate in, including summer camp, winter camp, ski trips and a life-changing white water rafting trip - every experience inspiring their adventurous spirits to do more. It was in 2015 that they hatched the plan to walk the Appalachian Trail together when they graduated college.
"Trevor and I survived childhood leukemia and began going to Camp One Step when we were kids. This camp focuses on giving children with cancer a safe place to have fun and make friends, both things that can be extremely challenging while going through chemotherapy" says Coby. "We were able to have regular experiences like swimming in the lake, enjoying camp songs and games and sleeping in a cabin away from treatment in a supportive and safe environment. We learned to love the outdoors and adventure through the programs we participated in and want to give back to One Step Camp by raising enough money to pay for 2 campers to go to camp for the next 10 years. We are dedicating this journey to Camp One Step!"
Coby and Trevor plan on leaving March 12, 2022, with their fellow hiking friend Tucker to start their 6-month journey and hope to have friends come and hike parts of the 2,201 miles of trail with them finishing sometime before Labor Day! Check in on them to see how they are doing to see photos and posts on their appalachian-trail-4-cosi Instagram page.
You can support their journey by donating directly to Camp One Step http://cosil.convio.net/goto/Coby-Tucker-Trevor.
None of the donations go to their expenses - all funds go directly to Camp One Step to underwrite expenses for future camper kids.
Jacob (Coby) Bassin: Coby was diagnosed May 1, 2000, with ALL Leukemia at 17-months old and was treated for 3 ½ years at Lutheran General Hospital in Park Ridge by Dr. Kwon and Dr. Goodell. Coby doesn't remember much during those years, but he is deeply connected to the incredibly positive and supportive experiences he had with the nurses at Camp One Step. Coby was raised in Glenview, IL and attended Countryside Montessori and Glenbrook South High School and received his Bachelor of Science Nursing from Saint Louis University in May 2022. He studied 2 of his college years in Spain at SLU Madrid and currently lives and works in Glenview at Glenbrook Hospital on the oncology/hospice floor.
Trevor Dralle: Trevor went to Brookfield Central Highschool and attended The University of Wisconsin-Waukesha. He grew up in Brookfield and lives in Delafield Wisconsin
Tucker Nienhaus: Tucker will be joining Coby and Trevor on their Appalachian trail adventure. Tucker is also a graduate from Glenbrook South High School and attended University of Colorado. He is a fellow hiking enthusiast and long-time friend and will be documenting the hike on their Instagram page.
ABOUT CAMP ONE STEP
Camp One Step heals scars that no one can see such as fear, isolation, depression, lack of support and no longer fitting in. Through community, support, and shared experiences with peers, they deliver happy, pain free medicine called "camp."
Camp One Step by Children's Oncology Services is a leader in providing empowering, supportive, educational and fun experiences for children (5-19) who have been diagnosed with cancer. We are the only local organization to offer 11 different programs throughout the year serving children and families who live in Illinois, Wisconsin and throughout the Midwest. Thanks to our 400 annual volunteers, including medical professionals, serving children who are in different stages of treatment have the ability to attend our Camp One Step programs. For more than 40 years, our organization has served more than 16,500 campers. If you would like to learn more about doing an athletic event to raise funds for Camp One Step, including the Bank of America Chicago Marathon, visit TeamOneStep.org.