Romano Launches 'Fifty for Fifty' Fundraiser

Some folks run and hide from their milestone birthdays. Who, me? Yeah, I'm one of those people. A few years back, I canceled my 30th birthday bash at the very last minute because of a "migraine," which of course I legitimately had, probably because I was so tense at the very thought of entering a brand new decade of life.

Other people, though, embrace and celebrate these incredible milestones of life. Like Craig Romano, for instance, who is (reportedly) going to turn the Big 50 this year. Craig isn't running from that number, oh no. He's running towards that number. Literally.

"I decided I am going to beat being over the hill, by running over the hill," Craig explains. He's begun training to participate in the famous White River 50 Mile Trail Run on July 30th, and has turned this milestone celebratory challenge into a fundraiser to support the trails under his hiking shoes. By the end of the run, Craig hopes to have raised $10,000 through individual donations for his favorite trails group - Washington Trails Association.

Yeah, wow. We're huge fans of Craig, and enormously inspired by his choice of milestone birthday celebration. And, we're absolutely honored to be the recipient of his personal fundraiser.

If you hike in Washington, you know Craig Romano. He's authored seven guidebooks for The Mountaineers Books, including two brand news ones -- Day Hiking: Columbia River Gorge and Backpacking Washington. Craig's guidebooks are well-loved for being well-researched and offering some trails seldom found in other guides.

So, what inspired Craig to pursue the White River 50?

"Mentally, I’m ready for this. I’ve wanted to do this race for some time, but my hiking obligations were always in the way. Now, my next manuscript isn’t due for some time and you only turn 50 once. This is the time to make this happen!" he said. "And, I'm raising money for WTA to give back to the trails that have helped me make a living."

To train for the big day, he'll be running - a lot. You can follow Craig's progress on his Fifty for Fifty fundraiser webpage, and on his Facebook page. And of course, you can support him by making a donation towards his goal of $10,000! Make a donation (any amount) for the month of April and Craig will enter your name into a drawing to receive a complete set of his Day Hiking books (Olympics, North Cascades, Central Cascades, Columbia River Gorge). That's a $76 value!

Happy 50th, Craig!