Mike Hanson

Greetings,

First and foremost, I am raising funds to support Child Legacy International’s Clean Water Program and the people of Malawi, Africa.  Secondly, a big “Thank You” and “God Bless You” to all my supporters as I take on the challenge to participate in the 2023 Mt. Everest Base Camp Clean Water Climb to help serve others and continue my own growth toward Christian maturity and faith into action. 

Please read on as I share a bit about myself.  My name is Mike Hanson (Big Mike) and I currently live in Grand Forks, North Dakota.  However, I do not consider myself to be from any one geographic location.  I am one of the many childhood nomads who considers their self a military brat.  I was born at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina and graduated high school at Fort Knox, Kentucky.   I have been on the move most of my life which started with my father’s service in the military with both the U.S. Marine Corp and the U.S. Army.  During that timeframe, I changed schools a total of ten times in support of my nomadic claim.  I attended and graduated college at Minnesota State University in Mankato, Minnesota and continued my life on the move during 25 years of my own service with the federal government.  I have lived from the far north stretches of Alaska down to the southern border in Texas, abroad in Neu Ulm, Germany, and many places in between.  

I have been married to my very supportive wife, Jackie, for 35 years and have 4 adult children (Michael, Mark, Danielle, Parker) and 7 wonderful grandchildren (Lucy, Noah, Stella, Sawyer, Wyatt, Micah, and Ronin).  My life experiences and travels have helped me to appreciate everything that I have in my life and has motivated my family and I to serve and help others in need.  Through charitable organizations, we have supported the fight against world hunger and improved health care in countries such as Africa, Peru, and Myanmar for over 20 years.  I first heard about Child Legacy International’s efforts after my oldest son completed a Clean Water Climb of Mount Kilimanjaro and mission trip to Malawi in 2018.

Guided by the Gospel of Jesus Christ, Child Legacy International functions to break the cycle of poverty by requiring participation from the local populations in the areas in which they work, so the local people have ownership in the development and enhancement of their communities through a hand-up vs. a hand-out.

I had honestly never heard of Malawi but learned Malawi is one of the poorest and least-developed countries in the world.  The Republic of Malawi is in Southeastern Africa and has an estimated population of over 19 million people.  Malawi has a low life expectancy, high infant mortality, and 1 out of 4 children die before the age of 25.  

I have always enjoyed the outdoors and many family vacations through the years revolved around some aspect of camping and hiking or other outdoor activities.  Child Legacy International’s efforts really interested me by providing a physical dynamic to their charitable work and an opportunity to visit areas that are less fortunate than we are in our daily lives.  The Clean Water Program really called to me having already known that billions of people, 1 in 3 globally, lack access to safely managed drinking water.  We routinely take clean water which is so basic to life for granted.  It is almost impossible to imagine having to walk for miles just to gather dirty, unpurified water from a river or water hole as your only option.

I am excited to dedicate my time and energy to serve others, grow spiritually, and participate in raising funds and awareness for Child Legacy International’s Water Well Ministry in Malawi, Africa and I will be paying all my own trip expenses.

Please consider supporting my goal of raising $5000 for Child Legacy International by contributing via PayPal, credit card, or check below. This is enough to restore clean drinking water to 4 villages and schools or about 7800 people. As previously mentioned, I will be paying all my own trip expenses and 100% of donations will go to Child Legacy International to support Child Legacy’s Clean Water Program.

Thank you for your time and may you and your loved ones be truly blessed.

Mike