We lost our beloved Rambo to Dilated Cardiomyopathy (DCM) just over a month ago. He was only 6 years old, but his heart—quite literally—was too big and sadly failed him. Rambo was more than a pet; he was family and my best friend. Losing him has left a huge hole in our lives.

However, we want his memory to live on and use it to do good for other Dobermans who may not have had the loving home that Rambo did. That’s why we’ve chosen Desert Harbor Doberman Rescue (DHDR) as the benefactor of this fundraising effort. We’ve volunteered, fostered, and even recently adopted a Doberman from DHDR. The team of volunteers does incredible work, and we hope this fundraising will help them continue their efforts to support even more dogs.

To honor Rambo, I’m taking on the Grand Canyon Rim-to-Rim hike. It’s a 24-mile trek with over 8,000 feet of elevation gain, and I expect it will take around 12 hours to complete. I’ve never faced a challenge like this before, and to be honest, I haven’t trained as much as I should have for such a mammoth effort. But Rambo loved our short hikes together, and I’m counting on those fond memories to help carry me through.

So, if you’d like to see me endure this challenge while raising money for a great cause, please donate whatever you can using the link below.

In memory of Rambo.