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Kids at Sunshine Acres Children's Home prepare for 'Grandpa Jim's Grand Canyon Hike'

Grand Canyon
Posted at 4:40 AM, Mar 29, 2023
and last updated 2023-03-29 09:13:59-04

MESA, AZ — A special group of kids is preparing for the trip of a lifetime, and it’s all thanks to a man who wants to see them succeed.

For the locals who hike Camelback Mountain, there’s a chance you may have heard of Grandpa Jim.

While he’s normally seen hiking up and down, ABC15 found him at the base of the mountain encouraging others to join him.

It was an effort to raise money so the kids at Sunshine Acres Children’s Home in Mesa can take a multi-day trip to the Grand Canyon. Grandpa Jim has raised money for the trip for the past 15 years.

ABC15 visited the home and met some of the children who live there as they trained for the big hike, like Bianca Alvarado.

"It's been very familial," she said. "Everyone gives you so much love. So, glad to be here."

Adam Houghton trains with them. He says the home is a safe space, as many of their families experience homelessness. He says the hike is a metaphor for what many of them have gone through and what they can overcome.

“To be able to see beauty in difficulty, to see hope in what felt like sometimes hopelessness and to have a sense of self that you’re worthy, you're good, you're OK,” Houghton said.

Grandpa Jim goes with them on the trip.

“Over the years, I’ve had countless stories of them talking about how life-changing it is,” Grandpa Jim said.

So as strangers in the community go up and down Camelback Mountain raising money for their next adventure, there’s a lesson to be learned.

“Part of this conversation is, why would Jim do that and who is he doing that for? There’s value in you,” Houghton said.

Grandpa Jim says they’ve already raised enough money for this year’s hike, which takes place at the end of April. But if you’d like to contribute to Sunshine Acres, click here.