For almost a year now I’ve had the pleasure of being associated with the local non-profit Blue Sky Fund, which seeks to enrich the lives of Richmond’s urban youth through transformational experiences in the outdoors. It’s an incredible organization, one that’s seen significant growth in the past year as it seeks to reach more and more children primarily in the East End.

One of BSF’s big fundraising events is called Hike for Kids. For years, the Hike was held on the Appalachian Trail in Virginia’s Blue Ridge Mountains. Hikers would raise money for BSF based on pledges they secured from donors. There was a party at the finish line (some hikers would put in nearly 30 mountain miles), and everyone went home tired and happy. It was a great event, but the distance from Richmond limited the participants.

This year we’ve decided to change things up. The 2016 Hike for Kids on Saturday, Oct. 15 will be held in Richmond, showcasing the incredible trails that make the James River Park System and our fair city such an outdoor lover’s dream, and also hopefully drawing a larger crowd of hikers. There will be three distance options — 5ish, 10ish and 18ish miles — all starting and ending at Legend Brewery in Manchester where we’ll throw a big party.

There are tons more details at the Blue Sky Fund website, but the basic pitch is simple: Bring your kids (12 and under hike for free), your friends and whoever else you know loves the outdoors, and come spend a fall afternoon hiking, eating and drinking — all for a good cause.