Once autumn approaches I know that every morning the last piece of clothing I will put on Cindy is a green fleece jacket. Just mentioning the jacket brings the same kind of smile as mentioning chocolate, as if the jacket was a teddy bear that you slip into rather than hug. For all the smiles they have brought Cindy I figure I owe the makers of that jacket another nod.
Before we hiked the American Discovery Trail I sent inquiries to potential sponsors. Kuhl, a maker of high end outdoor clothing, responded enthusiastically. They viewed my mission regarding the virtues of kindness and community as fitting in with their mission to promote human rights through their sponsorships. They outfitted Cindy and me thoroughly, from undergarments to storm gear. I did not wear all their clothes at first because they appeared to be too nice for outdoor use. Yet eventually I discovered the resiliency of their clothes. I also was impressed by how fast they dried, an important feature for the outdoors, and how well they resisted odors.
Cindy’s green fleece did not come to us by way of the ADT. Kuhl agreed to sponsor us once again when we hiked the PCT, even though our mission now was to raise awareness and funds for brain health research. As I have dug deeper into the research, brain health and humanity issues are intricately linked. Whether or not Kuhl suspected that from the start I don’t know, but I am grateful that they continued to sponsor us, as well as our daughter Charissa, for the PCT journey.
That gratitude is revived now every time Cindy smiles as I put on her green fleece. Many thanks to the folks at Kuhl.
