Arlene Slocum and Post 9 commander Jim “Clutch” Lounsbury celebrate Slocum’s completion of the 100 Miles for Hope in Fairbanks, Alaska, with an outdoor concert on American Legion Day 2020. (Photo via Legiontown)

100 miles, wherever you are

The third annual 100 Miles for Hope challenge kicked off March 1, getting American Legion Family members physically active while raising money for the Veterans & Children Foundation.

And “physical activity” should be taken in its broadest sense. Qualifying options include, among many others, walking, cycling, rucking, running, skiing, riding a motorcycle, canoeing and using a stand-up paddleboard. And if you can’t find your favorite, you can simply choose “other” on the Activity Tracker page.

Tracking can be done in one of two ways: you can sync a device such as an Apple watch or FitBit using Strava technology, or you can manually enter your activities on the website. This makes the challenge mobile, and attainable wherever you are – Puerto Rico or Alaska, Thailand or England. Arlene Slocum, a member of Post 9 in Wiseman, Alaska – the farthest-north Legion post in the world – “walked, rode a bike and kayaked the 100 Miles for Hope in the beautiful wilderness of Alaska” for the 2020 challenge. She then shared her story in the 100 Miles for Hope category of the Legiontown site.

The first step is to register via Emblem Sales. For a $30 fee, participants will receive a men’s, women’s or child’s tech shirt. All proceeds will go to the Veterans & Children Foundation. You can also register and decline the shirt. Upon conclusion of their 100 miles, participants will be able to download a certificate of achievement that they can print, display and share on social media.

American Legion National Commander Paul E. Dillard has set a goal of raising $450,000 during the 2022 challenge, which ends on Sept. 5. That leaves plenty of time to get started – wherever in the world you are.