Jeff Alt presents at REI and Walk for Sunshine Appalachian Trail DVD

  Jeff and I after his presentation at the REI community room
  photo by Ted Nelson

Jeff Alt presented a very entertaining slide show today at REI Chicago, Lincoln Park. The slide show accompanies his book A Walk for Sunshine which is a narrative of his 1998 thru hike on the Appalachian Trail.

Jeff combined the hike as a fundraising vehicle to raise money for the Sunshine Home which provides quality living for individuals with disabilities. The charity is intensely personal for Jeff as his brother Aaron lives at Sunshine. Jeff’s hike inspired an annual fundraiser that has raised over $160,000 for the home.

The presentation was done in a lively and humorous style and it is apparent that Jeff has done this presentation countless times as he has perfected it. The crowd at the REI Chicago location responded enthusiastically to the jokes and funny situations that occurred during his hike. Jeff had a skunk sleep on his sleeping bag one night and the audience was all laughter as he recalled this amusing anecdote.

What I appreciated about the show was it was not just slides and stories. It also had the charity aspect, which is a feel good story since he did the hike for his brother. Jeff also intertwines motivational themes in his show. Some do not care for motivational speakers, but in this show the self-help ideas were spun within the context of hiking and the outdoors and without proselytizing, so this was refreshing.

When he crossed his first state boundary from Georgia to North Carolina Jeff celebrated the first of 14 state border crossings. He then realized that it is important to celebrate something every day. Some days are rough and the cause for rejoicing can be hard to find, but in order to stay positive and optimistic it is important to find that one positive event and celebrate it.

  Jeff Alt celebrates the end of his grueling hike on the Appalachian Trail
  photo courtesy of Jeff Alt

The question and answer part of the presentation brought some thoughtful questions. Jeff is a great resource for not only the Appalachian Trail, but hiking in general, and hiking with kids.

Through his adventure he realized that with society becoming more rapidly complex it is important to find the time to commune with nature to find peace to stay balanced. As a parent he feels it is essential to start children out in the outdoors at an early age and get them off the computer and video games. Getting children to enjoy the outdoors also helps ensure that they appreciate the need to conserve our outdoor places as they are our future.

If you missed the REI presentation there is a DVD of the slide show available on his website. His book A Walk for Sunshine is also available for purchase on the site.
 

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