Hikes To Benefit Texas Flood Relief Sought By Alexandria Teen's Nonprofit

ALEXANDRIA, VA — An Alexandria teen is leading an effort to organize youth-led hikes with donations to benefit Camp Mystic and other victims of the flooding in central Texas.

In response to the deadly flooding through Kerr County, Texas, Alexandria teen Alex Thielman is calling hikers to help the victims through his nonprofit Mercy Trails. Mercy Trails is a youth-led group that coordinates hikes to collects donations for community causes. The nonprofit is calling on teens and groups to organize "Hikes for Texas" anywhere in the U.S. on Saturday, July 12 to benefit the Camp Mystic community and Texas flood victims.

"This hike is a tangible way for teens everywhere to walk in solidarity with the people of Texas and Kerr County," said Thielman, founder of Mercy Trails.

From July 7 to July 21, Mercy Trails is collecting donations, providing 100 percent to the Kerr County Flood Relief Fund. The donations will support organizations like Salvation Army and local churches that are helping impacted families and camps. Donations can be made through MercyTrails.org.

Thielman will host his own hike at 10 a.m. on Saturday, July 12 at Waterfront Park in Alexandria. There will be a simple Mercy Trails sign and a QR code for passerby to make donations.

Interested groups can sign up to host a hike. Participants are encouraged to share their events on social media with #HikeForKerrCounty @mercy.trails.

"The whole point of the hikes is for teens to gather in action, instead of just talking about it," said Erin Thielman, an adult advisor to Mercy Trails. "Teens always want to help with tragedies but it’s hard for them to do anything from a distance. This nationwide call for a hike in unity and with prayers and thoughts for Texas gives them a way of helping while letting Texans know they are not forgotten."

An estimated 95 and counting people have died in the flooding that hit Texas over the July 4 holiday, CNN reported. Camp Mystic, a Christian girls camp affected by severe flooding on the Guadalupe River, confirmed 27 of its campers and counselors have died.