Cowboys vs. Crohn's
Hi, we are Jack Chambers and Nick Roach, two cousins from Washington State and the founders of Cowboys vs. Crohns
Cowboys vs. Crohn’s is a 3 and 1/2 month, 1,300 mile horseback ride from Gardiner, MT to Bellingham, WA.
However, Cowboys vs. Crohn’s has profound meaning to us on a far deeper level. It is the opportunity to use our skills, talents, and passions to do something incredible. It’s a dream that started when we were little and has since grown into a reality over the last few years.
Background story
The Cowboyvs vs. Crohn's journey began with a seedling idea. We come from a big family. Lots of people means lots of stories. For years we’d heard stories about the exciting adventures those around us had gone on—our cousin Luke packing across the Thoroughfare of Yellowstone with his best friend Jeremiah Johnson, our boss Warren (Jeremiah’s dad) taking to the mountains for weeks at a time, a friend and his buddies kayaking from Gardiner, MT to the Gulf of Mexico, our uncles fishing in Alaska for the summers, the list goes on.
We wanted to do something like they did, to face challenges that would shape us and define us. Having worked on a ranch for several years, it became obvious that riding horses would be a big part of our adventure.
We started planning. The more we thought and planned for our grand adventure, the more we realized that something was missing, something that would drive our adventure to be about more then just our own benefit. It wasn’t until we asked ourselves, “Why are we doing this?” did the answer become clear—we were missing a cause. And so, Cowboys vs. Crohn’s was created.
Why Crohn’s Disease?
Crohn’s disease has hit our family hard. We have 7 family members (Jack included) with it, many of whom were diagnosed as children. Crohn’s disease is one of those disorders that can affect each individual patient very differently and that’s certainly true in our family.
There are two main goals to Cowboys vs. Crohn’s: to raise money and awareness for the battle against Crohn’s disease and to bring hope to Crohn’s patients, children and adults alike. Crohn’s is a very difficult disease for a healthy, active person, especially a child, to be diagnosed with. We want to help children fight this illness and not let it define them. It’s our hope that you’ll aid us in that effort as we raise funds for a cure.
Why $25,000?
The cost of the trip is about $20/mile. That cost includes food for the horses, for us, fuel for our support vehicle, and any potential emergencies that may need financial back-up
. Our horses will be eating quite a bit of grass along the way, but Jake and Coyote will also need grain, alfalfa, and the occasional carrot! There is a good chance we'll have to get them new shoes along the way as well, and Nike's aren't cheap, especially for horses.
We budgeted just enough money so that Jack and I won't quite starve on the road, but who knew food was so expensive, we'd love it if you'd help feed us too?
Our support vehicle will need fuel, and thats where a big part of these funds come in. The vehicle will end up driving approximately 3600 miles to pick up groceries, meet with media, and control the flow of the journey.
Thanks for your support, and look forward to video updates and news as the trip continues to get closer!
