Saratoga News
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Students walk runway to support Skip's Walk
By Michele Tjin
Richard "Skip" Getz is taking life one step at a time, and Saratoga High School students want to see him get to the finish line.
Getz is a Los Gatos resident with a huge goal. On April 8, he left his apartment to embark on a 1,285-mile trek on foot to Boulder, Colo., in a project he calls Skip's Walk. His aim is to raise enough money to support his family and pay mounting medical bills. He's had a tumor removed from his pituitary gland, and his son Galen, 6, has cerebral palsy.
"I'm walking every step of the way," Getz said, resting near Kirkwood, the ski resort. "I'm up to 25 miles a day, and I want to get up to 30 miles as I'm getting more fit."
Getz, who is not working, currently receives government assistance for his family's needs. To return to work means he must give up his state benefits and pay for private health insurance, which he can't afford. He is hoping his walk to Boulder will inspire strangers in schools, libraries and chambers of commerce to contribute his cause.
His story has inspired four student commissioners in charge of the Saratoga High School April 28 fashion show to help him out. Each year, students choose a local beneficiary to receive the proceeds of the student-run show. After considering local war veterans earlier this year, the student commissioners settled on Getz and his family.
"The fact that he is standing up for his family, that's what got to us," said senior Maddie Block. "He is getting by with government money, but he feels he is not fulfilling his duty as a father."
It was Getz's creative solution and ambition that helped the students make up their minds.
"My heart went out to him," said senior Roza Zadeh. "He's taking the initiative to walk to Colorado. That's very compelling. There are so many qualified people that could use our donations, and it was a hard decision."
The fashion show itself will feature 70 student models wearing outfits borrowed from local boutiques. There will be an international flair to the show. Food from ethnic restaurants will be served, and each segment of the show, from casual beach duds to formal prom finery, will be set in a different location. Lyndy Janes Dangerfield, a former model, is the producer who is showing students how to strut down the runway.
"I think it's amazing," Roza said. "The fashion show promotes these small businesses while raising money for a local cause."
Getz said he is grateful to receive the proceeds of Saratoga's fashion show.
"I would really like to express how deep and heartfelt my gratitude is for them," he said. "I'm deeply touched by their generosity that they selected us as recipients."
Inching his way to Boulder, Getz said he wishes he could attend the fashion show. He will be going over three mountain ranges--the Sierras, the Wasatch and the Rockies--as well as desert terrain in Nevada. Getz originally estimated he would finish the journey in five weeks, but after a week of walking he has revised his timetable and doesn't figure to finish until the beginning of June. In the first eight days of walking, he has covered roughly 200 miles, and so far he said he's pleased with how his body is taking the physical strain.
"Every day I feel better," he said. "Before, it's usually sore feet that tells me when to stop, but now it's a matter of how much daylight we have."
For his route, Getz has chosen country roads that are less traveled. His friend William Chantler follows him in a van that carries food, and after a day of walking, the two set up camp at night.
"I really look inward now," Getz said. "I have a lot of time to think and set my priorities."
The Saratoga High School fashion show will be April 28 at Foothill Elementary School, 13919 Lynde Ave. The student show is at 3 p.m., and the family show runs at 7 p.m. Tickets are $15 for regular seating, $25 for VIP seating. For tickets, call 408.867.3411, ext. 203.
For more information about Skip's Walk, visit www.skipswalk.com.
