Held at Quigley’s Restaurant
573 Columbia Turnpike
East Greenbush, NY 12061

Members Attending (12): Phil Kellerman, Dick Drumm, Murray Forth, Pat Bailey, Jim Leyhane, Roberto Martinez, Ray Hannan, Terry Brewer, Debbie Brown, Peter Brown, Kevin Leyhane, Andy Leyhane.

Guests (5): Speaker Al Mackey, Oley Foundation Director Joan Bishop, 2 dietitians from Ellis Hospital, Spinney resident Bob Howe.

MEETING NOTES: Phil Kellerman presided, greeting members and guests. … Members will share and discuss fundraising ideas at a Club Assembly scheduled for Thursday, December 5. … Reminders that (1) Phil will be selling free market coffees for the holidays, with $5 from the sale of each bag going into the club’s ShelterBox effort; (2) a supply of bags and tags is available at each dinner meeting for member participation in our ongoing Clynk container recycling effort for ShelterBox; (3) Members are urged to work on themed gift baskets for the silent auction that will be part of our annual Holiday Party, to be hosted by Maggie and Murray Forth at their residence on Thursday, December 19. … No meeting next week due to Thanksgiving Day.

PROGRAM: “Hiking for Oley”

Our guest speaker was Al Mackay, 61, who in the 1990s received aggressive treatment for cancer and ended up with a feeding tube  because of difficulty of swelling. After finding the Oley Foundation on the Internet, he became a client.

Al, an experienced hiker, wanted to make a fundraising hike from June 17 to July 19 for Oley by traversing the Long Trail in Vermont, part of which is on the Appalachian Trail. He eventually made it from the Massachusetts line north to the Canadian border, a 272-mile hike while carrying a backpack that weighed more than 30 pounds.

Al had to overcome many adversities, including knee problems at Mile 36, rain, mud, fog, cliffs, and the steep trails that in some parts required ladders.  His mantra: “Limitation is a state of mind.”

You can read more details of Al’s feat by clicking here to access the Oley Foundation newsletter.