CULLMAN, Ala. – On Sunday, Sept. 21, the Forty Acre Wood will open its trails to support a local family facing the ongoing challenges of pediatric cancer. “Laps for Lincoln” invites community members to hike a marked trail through the woods in honor of Lincoln Kallas, a recent graduate of Brewer High School who has been battling T-cell leukemia for the past three years.
Although Lincoln is currently in remission, his fight has been ongoing. He has endured two hip replacements, has another surgery on the horizon, and continues to face lingering complications from his treatment.
“People don’t realize that even though St. Jude covers much of the medical cost, there’s still a lot of out-of-pocket expenses — travel, lodging, meals and medications,” said Forty Acre Wood Owner Wendy Smithson. “We just want to help relieve some of that burden.”
The hike features a 1.2-mile marked trail through the woods, outlined with bright orange arrows to symbolize leukemia awareness. Participants are encouraged to complete the lap at their own pace, enjoying the outdoors while keeping Lincoln and his family in their thoughts, and reflecting on the importance of giving. Participants can arrive anytime between noon-6 p.m. and entry is $10 per person, but Smithson emphasized that no one will be turned away for financial reasons.
Laps for Lincoln is the latest in a series of cancer fundraisers hosted by the Smithson family. In 2022, their son was diagnosed with leukemia, and just two months later, Wendy’s husband was diagnosed with stage 4 kidney cancer.
“Since then, our family has truly realized how important it is to support families walking through something like this,” Smithson said. “We do this because we’ve lived it. We know how overwhelming it is, and the last thing a family needs is to worry about money when they’re already carrying the weight of cancer. We want this to be a simple, meaningful way to give. Bring your kids. Tell them Lincoln’s story. Teach them compassion.”
The Forty Acre Wood is located at 195 Seven Bark Dr. NW, Cullman, AL 35057. Get more info at www.thefortyacrewood.com.
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