Great Strides Ridgecrest
The town of Ridgecrest is located in the middle of California's high desert. It's nestled in the Indian Wells Valley between the Mojave and Death Valley and is anchored by Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake on the northeast. Ridgecrest is where we were living when Ben was born and when he was diagnosed. and the amount of support we received was unreal. We left a piece of our hearts there when we left, but we'll definitely keep coming back!
2016
2016 marked the final year of students at Burroughs High School who were there at the same time Steph was teaching there. I didn't recognize as many (student) faces, but we continue to make meaningful connections with other CF families and allies.
2015
Another great year walking with Burroughs High School and our Ridgecrest community!
2014
The staff and students at Burroughs High School work so hard to raise money for Great Strides. The Blockbuster, the school paper, writes an annual article highlighting Ben's story; donation jars are put in classrooms on campus; the school holds a round of Penny Wars; and this year the AVID club hosted an Olympics event to raise funds while the marching band kicked off the walk.
2013
This was our first year walking in Ridgecrest (or anywhere, actually); Ben was only 8 months old at the time. One of the most amazing stories from this year happened at Burroughs High School where I (Steph) had been giving presentations about CF and Ben to some of the clubs. I had been so worried about getting emotional in front of the students. I spend my whole day talking to groups of teenagers, but this felt so different, so personal. It turns out I did get emotional, but it was perfect. After my presentation, as the students were returning to their classroom, one girl came over to talk with me. I didn't know her; she wasn't my student. She had tears streaming down her face. "I had no idea it was so hard," she said. "I want to help!" I was so touched by her honesty and her passion. We talked for a few minutes, and before she left, she asked if she could hug me. This girl showed me the power Ben's story had to affect people we didn't even know. She was the first of many, and I will never forget her.