FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
PR Contact: Thomas H. Brown
412-863-5261
thomasaltonfoundation@gmail.com
Experienced trail hikers to lead guided WALKATOP tours
Mount Washington event on Sept. 16 supports suicide prevention with urban hike
PITTSBURGH – The fourth annual WALKATOP urban hiking adventure through Emerald View Park in Mount Washington will be held this year on Sunday, September, 16.
As highlighted in an interview on Fitness Lab Pittsburgh with organizer Tom Brown, this year there will be two hikes guided by trail experts. Kathryn Hunninen, a Senior Manager for Pittsburgh Parks Conservatory and a key figure in the creation of Emerald View Park will lead participants on a nine-mile route starting at 8:30 a.m. Dr. Eva Simms, retired Duquesne professor and naturalist by avocation, will guide a five-mile hike for participants of all fitness levels at 9 a.m. Self-guided hikers are welcome to venture through WALKATOP’s six routes, including the challenging 14-mile Great Trail, from 8 a.m. to noon on Sept. 17. Nearly 300 hikers explored the scenic Emerald View Park at last year’s WALKATOP event.
Listen to the interview here.
This breathtaking green space created in 2005 wraps all around Mount Washington and provides contrasting urban and woodland vistas unavailable elsewhere in Pittsburgh.
Proceeds from this year’s event will provide continued support for UPMC Mercy’s program Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training (ASIST) as well as funding for a suicide prevention program at Brashear High School. The WALKATOP event is a fundraiser benefiting The Thomas Brown Alton Foundation, which is dedicated to suicide prevention by helping those in need toward improved mental health. Grants from the foundation support staff training at UPMC Mercy in the internationally recognized ASIST program.
UPMC Mercy, the event’s presenting sponsor, will have staff on site at the event.
Advance registration is $20 from Sept. 1 through Sept. 15, and admission on Sept. 16 is $25 at check-in. Children age 10 and under are free. Check-in site is at the parking lot on Grandview Avenue across from the Duquesne Incline. Be sure to indulge in one of the tasty breakfast, brunch and lunch options on Mount Washington before or after your hike. Advance tickets are available online through showclix.com.
WALKATOP 