Troy Walk Hard

On Friday, March 4, 2011, five brothers from Kappa Beta kicked off their spring break in dramatic fashion with the second installment of the chapter’s Signature Event, Walk Hard.

"Walk Hard has always been this big idea," said Chapter President Kyle Crabtree, Troy '08.

Big is definitely the right word to describe this 130-mile trek from Troy, Ala. to Panama City, Fla. Chapter brothers Kyle Crabtree, Austin Bivins, Jacob Laan, Matt Dobson and Rick Dahrens all committed to the walk.The group left Troy at 9 a.m. on Friday, March 4, and arrived at Pier Park in Panama City around 4 p.m. on Wednesday, March 9.

"We walk about 20 miles a day," said Crabtree. "And we do it all to raise money and awareness for Camp ASCCA."

Camp ASCCA is the Alabama Special Camp for Children and Adults. Camp ASCCA is a nationally recognized leader in therapeutic recreation for children and adults with both physical and mental disabilities.

"I got involved with Camp ASCCA in 2006 as a camp counselor," said Jacob Laan, one of Troy's Founding Fathers. "It was a life-changing experience … and, for me, having that experience makes this walk all that much more fulfilling."

The event, while simple in theory, has many complexities that require attention to detail.

"We've got plan what and where we're going to eat every day, what we need as far as clothes, what we need to pack, where we're going to sleep," said Crabtree. "There's a lot of planning involved."

Not only does the chapter plan the entire trip, it also works with the media and drums up sponsorships.

"We made up these packets of information that was kind of like a five-page brochure about the walk and Camp ASCCA," said Crabtree. "Then we handed those out to about 150 to 200 business to generate sponsorships."

This year, the walk was sponsored by State Farm Insurance and Red Bull along with other local businesses. Along with sponsorships, the chapter also set up a WePay account for the event so people could make donations online.

With some help from Troy University in media coverage and outreach, the chapter raised over $4,000 for Camp ASCCA, doubling the total from last year.

"It's not about us. It's bigger than us and anything that we could do," said Crabtree. "It's about walking that extra mile for someone in need."