By Lyndsie Kiebert-Carey
Reader Staff
Justine Murray and Matt Connery hit the trail. Courtesy photo.
Justine Murray and Matt Connery will be sharing a recap of their 850-mile thru-hike of the Idaho Centennial Trail on Friday, Dec. 10 at a slideshow and silent auction event to benefit the Ethan Murray Fund, a Sandpoint nonprofit dedicated to raising funds for local mental health resources.
The event will take place at 5 p.m. at Tango Cafe (414 Church St. inside the Sandpoint Center). Murray and Connery will share a presentation about their hike of the ICT over the past summer and fall, which brought them the length of Idaho from the Nevada border to Priest Falls and encompassed about 775 miles of walking and 75 miles of rafting on the Middle Fork of the Salmon River.
Along with the presentation, the Dec. 10 event will also feature a silent auction, a Beet and Basil ramen bar, dessert and Evans Brothers coffee served by Tango Cafe.
The couple embarked on their ICT journey in June in memory of Murray’s son, Ethan, who struggled with schizophrenia, addiction and homelessness, and was killed by a Spokane County sheriff’s deputy in May 2019. Pledges made toward the hike, as well as proceeds from the upcoming slideshow event, will further Murray’s vision of providing support in North Idaho for those struggling as Ethan did. Funds raised will benefit groups such as the local chapter of the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI Far North) and Bonner Homeless Transitions.
Tickets are not required to attend the Ethan Murray Fund slideshow and silent auction event. Those wishing to watch the presentation via Zoom can contact Murray at [email protected] to request a viewing link.
Learn more about the Ethan Murray Fund and how to support the nonprofit’s mission to spread mental health awareness at ethanmurrayfund.org. Also find and follow Ethan Murray Fund on Facebook and Instagram.
