Cold Never Bothered Him Anyway
Here is the amazing story of Kevin Kline, morning co-host on Cox Media Group Country KKBQ (93Q)/Houston, who is in his final few days of intensive training to take on a ridiculously daunting and dangerous challenge for a most worthy cause — he will attempt a 300-mile “Delivering Hope” run at Alaska’s deadly Arctic Circle to raise money for pediatric cancer patients at Texas Children’s Hospital on behalf of The Snowdrop Foundation, the non-profit he founded in 2006.
This Saturday, November 16 — eight days before his 50th birthday — Kline, an ultra-runner, will set out to become the first person in recorded history to run the northernmost 300 miles of The James W. Dalton Highway — in the friggin’ winter. The Dalton, pictured here, and familiar to fellow fans of Ice Road Truckers, is recognized as the single most dangerous road in America, and the 10th most dangerous road in the world.
Kline will run with a backpack filled with the names and photos of 1,750 pediatric cancer patients, a precious cargo that weighs an extra seven pounds. His odyssey will begin at the Arctic Circle, Mile 115 of The Dalton, and ends in the frighteningly named Deadhorse, AK, near the edge of the Arctic Ocean. To properly prepare himself to survive his hostile Arctic environment, Kline has been training in a walk-in freezer built in his garage. No, seriously. Watch the video below.
“Words can’t describe how proud I am of Kevin and the endeavor he’s undertaking,” said Johnny Chiang, Director of Operations for CMG Houston. “This is beyond doing good in your community, which we as broadcasters have pledged to do. This is humanity at its best.”
To date, Kline has run over 175 marathons and ultra-marathons and raised over $1.8 million to benefit Texas Children’s Hospital’s pediatric patients and cancer research. “This run mirrors the hardships of isolation and hostility that childhood cancer patients face,” Kline said. “To have my family at Cox Media Group back this run through donations and ongoing marketing support shows how committed it is to its employees and the community.” Kline is available for local media interviews before and after the Delivering Hope run, which is scheduled to complete by Nov. 24.