Mark Miracle Three Peaks Extravaganza

One year ago, one of my favourite people in the world, my uncle Mark, got very sick and passed away pretty suddenly. This was a huge blow to my family as it was very premature. But more than that, it was because he was one of those larger-than-life characters that you can't help but love, admire and maybe even fear a little. He was the glue that kept much of my family together after my hilarious, wonderful, mischievous grandma also passed away prematurely 12 years earlier.

I’ve set up this charity fundraiser to honour his memory. In order to earn your backing for the charities I have selected, I will be completing the Three Peaks Challenge in 24 hours! That’s right, wild. This is a popular hiking challenge in the UK where you hike the tallest mountains in England, Scotland and Wales consecutively. The challenge part is that your only rest is the drive between each hike, since the combined hiking and driving will only take under 24 hours if you complete each peak and drive in minimal time.

In true Christian fashion, I will be going in boldly with 0 prep. Hopefully that’s worth some extra donations just off entertainment value alone. And honestly, besides that being my style, it actually feels more meaningful that way.

Finally, before I get to the causes, I need to tell you a bit more about who my uncle was. Mark Miracle was a beloved friend, husband, dad and grandpa (and uncle obviously), as well as an avid hunter, fisher, biker, all round lover of the outdoors, and I know a whole lot of people would call him a whole bunch of other things too! He had a hard life and was a bear-of-a-man in more ways than one, but had an unmistakably gentle soul and was deeply loved by everyone for it. He was genuinely one of a small set of people to have influenced my belief in always striving to be a good kind person (not a reflection on him if I fail at that).

I never really got to know his core belief system as an adult, but I know from conversations with him right before his passing, and with my family after, that he deeply cared about responsible gun ownership, hunting and fishing practices, as well as preserving our natural heritage and pushing back against dangerous, hateful politics.

For this reason, I have painstakingly researched and selected three charities that I believe best honour his memory and values:

The first, at the request of my aunt Wendy, his widow, is the Northland Sportsmen’s Youth Club, which focuses on teaching children about responsible gun ownership and nature conservation:

https://northlandsportsmensclub.org/

The second is the National Wildlife Federation, the largest private nonprofit conservation education and advocacy organisation in the United States, which seeks to and has successfully led the restoration and expansion of important degraded ecosystems, plant and animal populations since 1936:

https://www.nwf.org/

https://greatnonprofits.org/org/national-wildlife-federation

And third is the Brennan Center for Justice, which is a non-partisan law and policy institute which seeks to combat disinformation, as well as to preserve and strengthen a free and fair US democracy and justice system that work for all, by educating voters on the facts:

https://www.brennancenter.org/election-2024

I will be splitting the proceeds between the three causes, likely evenly. And as an extra perk and incentive to give generously, I've set up rewards for people who choose to give 25, 50 or 100. Please check those out in the rewards section and hopefully some of you will be tempted.

P.S. I am setting a target of $1500. I know that’s a very ambitious target but let’s set that bar high and remember, Uncle Mark is watching ;) So cough it up!

You should be able to pay via Google Pay, Apple Pay, and using most cards. You can skip the tip by selecting "custom amount". Please consider giving generously!