Author: Tammy Lane • First Posted: Wednesday, April 29, 2009

Dan Richey, Preston Goulson, Jared Gibson and Cal Staben have worked on their senior project since last summer. (Photo: Tammy L. Lane)

Four seniors at Henry Clay plan to cap their high school experience with a 259-mile hike to raise money for Cardinal Hill Rehabilitation Hospital.

“We’re doing it for kids who can’t go out and walk the Appalachian Trail or fulfill their dreams,” said Preston Goulson, who is coordinating the fundraiser along with classmates Cal Staben, Jared Gibson and Dan Richey. “This is going to help people who are really in need and have nowhere else to turn.”

Their 200-hour mentoring project is a requirement in the school’s Liberal Arts Academy.

“You spend three years of your life dreading the mentoring project. But once you get down to it, it’s a great experience,” Cal said. “You finally get a chance to give back on a larger scale to the community.”

The project is essentially an independent study. For nearly a year now, these boys have worked with community contacts, mapped out details of their hike, and developed fundraising strategies and marketing presentations.

“It allows them to really put into place everything we’ve been doing in the classroom,” said academy facilitator Peggy Workman. “It takes the lid off of education to really show them education is a life-long process.”

The original idea was to collect money for rehabilitation equipment to help local swimmer Dusty Hicks, who had suffered a spinal cord injury. After his death, the boys’ focus broadened to general research and other needs at Cardinal Hill.

Each team member has a specialty when pitching their cause: Preston reviews the logistics of the hike. Cal, who knew Dusty through Wildcat Aquatics, talks about his old friend. The others explain the mentoring project or discuss all Cardinal Hill does for the community.

“They are an impressive group of young guys,” said Jenny Wurzback, director of community relations and the Cardinal Hill Foundation. “The fact that they chose to do this in memory of a friend many of the guys knew made it all very special.”

As part of their preparation, the team toured the hospital to learn about pressing needs, such as the wear-and-tear on wheelchairs and the inevitable damage to hallway walls.

“We’re in constant change here in updating equipment,” Wurzback added.” In the world of rehab, equipment becomes obsolete quickly.”

The boys are seeking donations from corporations and individuals. They hope to have lump-sum contributions in hand before their June hike and collect the per-mile pledges afterward.

They plan to leave the Monday after graduation for the 10-day hike from Waynesboro, Va., to Boiling Springs, Pa., along the Appalachian Trail. Three in the group are Eagle Scouts, and all have extensive backpacking experience.

“It will be a long haul,” Cal said. “(But) I can’t think of three people I’d rather do that with.”

To help

Make checks payable to Cardinal Hill Rehabilitation Hospital. Please note in the memo section that your donation is on behalf of the “Henry Clay HS project.” Mail contributions to Cardinal Hill Rehabilitation Hospital, 2050 Versailles Road, Lexington KY 40504. Attn. Jenny Wurzback.

If you have questions, call Wurzback at (859) 254-5701, ext. 5601.

The mentoring projects

Students in the Liberal Arts Academy at Henry Clay High School spend 200 hours on their mentoring projects, beginning the summer before their senior year. Some join a research team at the University of Kentucky or do independent study with a professor; others produce a music recital or direct an original play.

“It’s based upon their interests. They’re designing their own class, basically,” said academy facilitator Peggy Workman, who meets with the kids every two weeks and monitors their progress. “It’s a perfect fit for gifted and talented students.”

Coming up 

Each spring, the academy hosts a showcase where the seniors present their projects. This year’s event is May 7, starting at 7 p.m.