'300th Anniversary' Hope Sunrise Hiking Club Leads Support for Lou Gehrig Care Hospital Construction

Professional Sunrise Mountaineering Club for Supporting Lou Gehrig Care Hospital

The Hope Sunrise Hiking Club (President Lee Tae-seon) announced on the 17th that on the 15th, they held a group Ice Bucket Challenge at Namhan Mountain Fortress First South Outer Wall in Gwangju, Gyeonggi Province, to commemorate the 300th Hope Sunrise and support the construction of the Lou Gehrig Care Hospital.

Members of the Hope Sunrise Hiking Club delivering donation funds to support the construction of the Lou Gehrig Care Hospital on the occasion of the 300th sunrise.
[Photo by Kang Hee-gap]

The Hope Sunrise Hiking Club is a specialized hiking club that started on January 2, 2016, at Gyebangsan in Odaesan National Park, aiming to bring hope to Lou Gehrig's disease patients and their families. The club focuses on national parks, UNESCO World Heritage sites, and scenic walking trails to visit sunrise and Milky Way spots.

Following the 2019 relay unification Hope Sunrise hike connecting the nine major national parks of South Korea with a 9-night, 10-day continuous sunrise hike and Baekdusan, the club has continued to operate social contribution-based sunrise events, such as the Hope Sunrise at Jirisan Nogodan with developmentally disabled and independent-preparing youth on June 2 of this year.

To celebrate the 300th Hope Sunrise, about 40 members gathered for a commemorative event at Namhan Mountain Fortress First South Outer Wall. Twelve members participated in the group Ice Bucket Challenge and donated 2.5 million KRW to the non-profit Seungil Hope Foundation (co-representatives Park Seung-il and Sean), which supports Lou Gehrig's disease patients.

The Lou Gehrig Care Hospital, scheduled for completion in December, will have a total floor area of 4,995㎡ (approximately 1,511 pyeong), with two basement floors and four above-ground floors, equipped with 76 beds and rehabilitation facilities. The establishment of the Lou Gehrig Care Hospital is expected to significantly reduce the medical and psychological burdens that patients and their families have had to bear.

Twelve members of the Hope Sunrise Hiking Club participating in the Ice Bucket Challenge for patients with Lou Gehrig's disease.
[Photo by Kang Hee-gap]

Kang Hee-gap, the captain of the Hope Sunrise Hiking Club and photographer (CEO of Bellavita), said, "We hope that many people will continue to show interest and support for the construction of the Lou Gehrig Care Hospital, scheduled for completion in December." He added, "Through active cooperation with local related organizations, we will strive to continue meaningful Hope Sunrise hikes that help socially vulnerable and disadvantaged groups around us and deliver dreams and hope, aiming for the 500th and 1000th events."