Saratogan hikes for a cause
If not for the COVID-19 pandemic, Saratogan Rick Whitacre would be traveling to New Hampshire next month to take an epic fundraising hike.
Whitacre and others who signed on as Champions for Camp Casco were to undertake the Presidential Traverse, a 23-mile hike reaching seven of New Hampshire’s 4,000-plus-foot summits. Instead, Whitacre will hike 40 miles from his Saratoga home to Waddell Beach in Davenport to raise money for Camp Casco, a nonprofit offering free camps and socials for childhood cancer patients, survivors and siblings in New England.
Whitacre is among 10 athletes from seven states chosen for the group’s inaugural challenge. Each Champion is sponsoring a returning camper for summer 2020. To complete the challenge while following social distancing recommendations, each Champion has opted to undergo a strenuous hike in their own state.
Whitacre plans to make the trek June 3-4. “Poison oak will be endured, shoes will be worn out, tears will be shed, and toes will be wiggled in sand,” he said in a statement.
Each Champion is tasked with raising $1,600, the cost of sending one child to camp for a week. Donations can be made at https://www.campcasco.org/rick-whitacre.
Foothill Club scholarhips
Recent Saratoga High School graduates Ashleigh Abe and Christine Lee and West Valley College students James Zetterberg and Susana Romero are this year’s recipients of scholarships from the Saratoga Foothill Club.
Abe won the American Heritage Award for being “a dedicated student of the social sciences.” Violinist Lee, the Visual and Performing Arts winner, has performed with numerous symphonies throughout the state.
Zetterberg received the Re-entry Award, and Romero was awarded a scholarship as a woman pursuing a career in a STEM field.
Saratoga High speaker series
Saratoga High School’s economics club is going online with its annual speaker series. This year’s theme is “COVID-19 and the Economy.”
The series kicks off May 29, 4:30-6:30 p.m. Speakers include Ashoka Mody from Princeton University and Roy Bahat of Bloomberg Beta.
“We’ve invited local businesspeople, industry leaders and college professors from around the country to share their knowledge and expertise on the economic impacts of the coronavirus and what the U.S. and other countries can do to try to mitigate them,” said sophomore Marcus Kuo, the club’s vice president.
The event will be held via a Zoom video conference, and signups are at tinyurl.com/COVIDspeaker.
