Outdoors

Think Big: Area doctor hiking the Mid State Trail to raise money for nonprofits

Many people dream of making a difference in the lives of those less fortunate than them, and recently one local doctor has set out on a unique path to do so.

"I was sick as a kid. I had asthma, so I was hospitalized several times," Colby Wesner said.

"I remember at Geisinger Janet Weis Children's Hospital, I really looked up to the doctor who took care of me," he continued.

"As a kid, I just thought he was a fun, goofy guy, but it was kind of neat around the medical field," he said.

Wesner is now a pediatric hospitalist, meaning that he doesn't work for one singular hospital, instead filling in where there are staffing deficiencies, including in delivery rooms and nurseries.

Wesner has worked extensively within the Geisinger Medical system, UPMC Williamsport and WellSpan Evangelical Community Hospital to name a few.

"I guess, being a pediatric hospitalist, I just like to dedicate my time and talents to trying to make a difference in kids' lives," he said.

On April 27, Wesner began a hike across the 331 miles of the Mid State Trail, spanning from Flintstone, Md., to near the New York state border, just north of Cowanesque Lake.

Wesner's goal is to raise $100 per mile of the trail, totaling $33,100, for two charities with which he has very personal connections.

A pediatrician for more than 10 years, in his spare time, Wesner helps run the Think Big Pediatric Cancer Fund.

"That's an organization I helped start during my training at Geisinger, and that organization has the primary mission to financially help pediatric cancer patients and their families," he explained.

"The name, Think Big, came from a young boy named Carmine Monacelli. He was a kiddo who lost his battle with pediatric cancer," Wesner explained.

"He was from the Scranton area, but I got to know him and his family pretty well while taking care of him," he said.

"He was a very ambitious kiddo. He would always tell you what he wanted to be when he grew up, and it would always change pretty much anytime you went into his room to take care of them for the day," Wesner said.

One day, Carmine would tell Wesner he wanted to be the first Pope from the United States, and as fate would have it, Chicago native Pope Leo XIV would be selected as the first American-born Pope just days into Wesner's journey.

"It actually made me tear up a little bit," he said.

"It was kind of neat that I'm out here hiking and raising funds for Think Big and something like that happened," he said.

"When the whole idea was coming about to start an organization like Think Big, he was the kid that I kept thinking about the most," Wesner said.

Think Big covers the central and northeastern regions of the state, with Lycoming County ranking as the third highest county to receive funding.

"I've always wanted to hike the entire Mid State Trail, but then I thought this might catch people's attention, where maybe I can turn this into a fundraiser and bring awareness to what these organizations are doing and raise funds for them," Wesner explained.

"Part of this trek is raising money for that organization and then the other organization that I'm raising money for is called Hunter's Heart & Hustle Foundation," he said.

Started in memory of Wesner's nephew, Hunter Beck Reynolds, who was killed by a drunk driver in February of 2022 at only 11-years-old, the nonprofit seeks to honor his memory by helping children throughout Lycoming, Union County, Snyder County and Northumberland counties remove the financial barriers to playing sports.

Funds from the foundation help to cover the costs of registration fees, equipment, tournament travel expenses and more.

"Last year, we gave out about $22,000 to support teams and individuals throughout the Susquehanna Valley, which for an organization that's only two years old, isn't un-consequential," Wesner said

So far, Wesner has covered more than 232 miles, despite not considering himself an avid athlete, albeit, a nature lover.

Wesner said he trained for nine months to prepare.

"Over the winter, I did a lot of running on the treadmill, wearing a weighted vest and did some trail runs to get in better shape for this," Wesner said.

Despite his preparedness, the doctor said he has had his own set of challenges along the hike, including tearing his feet up pretty much at the outset.

"It wasn't even really a trail. You're just walking over rocks. My feet got blistered up pretty, pretty good. But I had some kind people from that area that I was acquaintances with that I hadn't connected with in five or six years, that delivered me some extra foot care supplies," Wesner said.

Even with the persistent rainy weather over the past couple weeks, Wesner has been roughing it out in a tent most nights, while managing to cover around 15 miles per day, with a personal best of 21.

Along the way, he has encountered black bears and rattlesnakes, though luckily these haven't been close encounters.

Wesner's fundraising efforts received an early push when a fraternity brother of his from Penn State University, Phil Donegan, founder and CEO of Hampton Consulting Corporation, offered to match all donations, dollar for dollar, up to $15,000.

"He's originally from the Lewisburg area, and he's been a long time supporter of Think Big," Wesner said.

"I think that attracted people to donate, knowing that their $20 would turn into a $40 donation due to his generosity," he said.

Wesner encourages anyone with a passion and a hobby to use those for the good of others.

"If you're someone who knits or sews, you could do something where you're staying awake and gonna sew for 24 hours straight," he said.

"Pick your unique talent and hobby and just try and make a little spin on it. Surround yourself with great people, because I think you'll find if you have an idea, people will support you. You just have to have the courage to not think it's dumb," Wesner stressed, adding that asking for help when needed is essential.

"One of the ways this got kick started was when I said to my buddy, Chad Evans, this is what I want to do, what could we do to promote this," he said.

"He had me come into his studio and record a 15 minute interview that we posted on social media," Wesner explained, after which his page experienced a surge in followers.

Although Wesner's aim is to meet his target goal, as long as word spreads of both Think Big and Hunter's Heart & Hustle Foundation, he will be well satisfied.

"I'm just really hopeful that people learn more about these organizations and know that there are resources out there for them, whether they're battling pediatric cancer or need help with playing sports," he said.

"Even if it didn't raise any money, but it ends up helping people, I think that would have made it worth it," Wesner said.

Anyone interested in following along with Dr. Wesner's hike is encouraged to check out his Facebook page, Colby's Trek For Charity, where he has been posting almost daily video recaps.