The Summit Project Returns to Baxter State Park via Motorcycle convoy
To then Honor Maine’s Fallen Heroes
This Memorial Day weekend, exactly five years after its establishment, The Summit Project will conduct its Fifth Annual Tribute Trek and Family Weekend on Maine’s Baxter State Park.
Since Memorial Day 2013, The Summit Project has collected biographical stories and tribute stones that uniquely represent our post 9/11 fallen, and we have invited members of our community to carry them on tribute treks across Maine and all over the world.
In only five years, the lives of Maine heroes have been honored on Katahdin, Kilimanjaro, Everest, Iceland, Cadillac, Denali and have been carried through parades, marathons and marches across Maine, and the USA. We have connected with 100 Gold Star Families, who have received 16,000 unique post hike letters and our hikers have amassed over 17,000 miles of trails hike. Hundreds of participants have come together to honor our heroes through action. In short, The Summit Project is a proven living memorial and helps us fulfill our duty as Maine citizens.
We are a nationally recognized, Maine based, non-profit service organization. Founded by Major David J. Cote, USMCR in 2013. “We carry their stone for a hike; We carry their story for a lifetime.” The mission of TSP is to honor our state’s newest war casualties and the faithful spirit of all Mainers. Unlike any project in America, TSP allows Maine communities to honor our fallen heroes through action.
Over Memorial Day weekend 2018, 36 hikers will climb a summit in Baxter State Park as part of The Summit Project. With every step of that climb our hikers, who have already learned about the lives of their assigned heroes, will carry with them the memorial stones of that hero making The Summit Project a living memorial. The surviving families shared the stories of their loved ones’ character, integrity and service, and they have each unearthed and donated the special memorial stone that uniquely represents each fallen family member from Maine. We’ve engraved all of those stones and on Saturday, May 26, they will be transported to northern Maine, so that on Sunday, May 27, our preselected hikers can carry their stone for the hike, but carry their story for a lifetime.