Join Team Reeve(R) to Conquer The Canyon(R)!

Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation recruiting people living with paralysis to hike the Grand Canyon; funds raised will support Reeve Foundation's critical mission

SHORT HILLS, N.J., Feb. 1 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Team Reeve®, the athletic fundraising program of the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation, announced today that it has joined forces with the Walking Connection, a group that organizes and leads walkers and hikers on adventure vacations, to offer a special three-night/four-day walking, hiking and active adventure at one of the natural wonders of the world - The Grand Canyon.

"This is indeed a rare experience," said Peter T. Wilderotter, President and CEO of the Reeve Foundation. "Less than 1% of the millions of visitors to the Grand Canyon each year ever travel its trails and with Conquer The Canyon®, you have the opportunity to join this exclusive group while raising vital funds to help improve the lives people living with paralysis."

The adventure is open to wheelchair users as well as walkers and takes place May 18-21, 2010.

"We are very excited to offer this incredible opportunity to the Reeve Foundation community," said Gene Taylor of The Walking Connection®. "The Grand Canyon is a place of magnificent beauty, a place unlike anywhere else in the world and we guarantee all participants will feel a sense of accomplishment, not only physically, but also because of the funds raised to support the Reeve Foundation mission of care and cure."

There is a walk, hike or wheelchair accessible adventure to suit everyone. The Walking Connection® has developed a special training program to help prepare participants to meet the personal challenges of one of several levels of adventures at Grand Canyon. Each small group of participants will be led by The Walking Connection®'s best Grand Canyon experts who will interpret the intricacies of the geology, history, flora, fauna and environmental zones of the canyon.

All participants will receive the following benefits: expert fundraising assistance, exclusive Grand Canyon Hike Training Program, complete travel logistics (excluding airfare), ground transportation while in Arizona, hotel accommodations, most meals including a special Mission Inspiration Dinner and a Mission Celebration Dinner, hikes guided by expert Grand Canyon guides and the fun and camaraderie of others who will join you and celebrate the mission of Team Reeve®!

Annie Hayes, of Pittsfield, MA, and spinal cord injured in a cycling accident in 2006, participated in last year's Conquer The Canyon®. "At home, all of my friends are walkers so it was really special to meet people in wheelchairs," said Hayes. "I was so glad that I went, I got to wheel for hours on miles of accessible trails in the fresh air and I got to get my heart racing and adrenaline going on the up hills and then pass all the walkers on the down hills- all this in the company of good friends. It was such a blast."

"By yourself, with a few friends, a corporate team, a walking or hiking club, this is your opportunity to help support innovative research and quality of life programs while positively changing your own life. Join with us to achieve Today's Care, Tomorrow's Cure." Wilderotter concluded.

To receive additional information, please visit the Team Reeve® website and complete a short form at www.TeamReeve.org. All funds raised by participants will support the Reeve Foundation's critical mission.

About the Reeve Foundation

The Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation is dedicated to curing spinal cord injury by funding innovative research, and improving the quality of life for people living with paralysis through grants, information and advocacy.  For more information, and to review the entire list of Quality of Life grant recipients, please visit our website at www.ChristopherReeve.org or call 800-225-0292.

About The Walking Connection

The Walking Connection creates and conducts unique active travel adventures to many of the world's most exotic and exciting destinations. We are dedicated to providing unique adventures to people of all interests, fitness levels and abilities, and to connect them to information and activities that help them live healthier and more active lifestyles. For more information, visit WalkingConnection.com.

SOURCE Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation