Happy Birthday to the late Meredith Hope Emerson!

Meredith Hope Emerson was an avid dog lover and outdoor's enthusiast. She went to the University of Georgia which is my alma mater. To much dismay her life abruptly and unfairly ended this past January while she was hiking in Georgia with her dog, Ella. Although Meredith is no longer with us, there is much to learn from her story. Her spirit lives on today.

I am excited and honored to be in partnership with the non-profit organization, Right to Hike, Inc. The organization was formed by Meredith's friends and family and will support causes that were close to Meredith's heart, including hiker safety. Because I also believe that anyone and everyone (including dogs!!!) should be entitled to explore the outdoors without the fear of being attacked by people, I plan to do everything in my power to help. Please also join me by frequenting the Right to Hike Inc. website and by promoting and supporting their cause. A sincere thank you!

A note from Right to Hike, Inc.:

Meredith Hope Emerson was a bright, beautiful person with a wide variety of interests including history, French culture, martial arts, animals, hiking, and writing, among many others. The two things that brought her the most joy, however, were being in nature and spending time with her dog Ella, who she adopted from an animal rescue. She had an incredibly deep love for the outdoors and for all animals, and because of these loves, the Tour de Dog and its values are ones she would have excitedly supported.

Meredith went missing on January 1, 2008, while hiking in Blairsville, Georgia. A massive search and rescue operation immediately began during which thousands of people from across the country contributed time, money, and energy to help find her. Meredith was found murdered on January 7. Her dog Ella survived the ordeal and now lives with Meredith’s parents in Colorado. Their story touched countless numbers of individuals all over the world, especially animal lovers and nature lovers from all walks of life.

In honor of Meredith, her friends have founded Right to Hike, Inc., a non-profit organization dedicated to raising funds and awareness for causes that were close to Meredith’s heart, as well as promoting outdoor safety. You can learn more about Meredith’s story and how to help at http://www.righttohikeinc.com/. It is our hope that Right to Hike and Tour de Dog can partner together in celebration of Meredith’s life by reminding everyone to care for our environment and our animals and to always live life to the fullest, as Meredith did.

Thank you in advance for supporting Meredith and her causes!

Sincerely,

Right to Hike Inc.