Ellington

Sisters Blair and Kelsea Hickman are about to embark on a cross-country adventure to honor their late mother, J’ann Pecsok, and spread awareness about the healing power of down-home cooking.

The girls will begin their journey in Chattanooga on June 4 at the downtown Ronald McDonald House, where they will serve dinner to guests.

“We’re going to retrace the route our mom took in 1977 with three of her girlfriends,” said Blair Hickman, recalling the adventurous spirit of her mother, who lost her battle with cancer in 2003. “We’ve always wanted to go on this trip and we’ve always wanted to raise money for her.”

To accomplish their dream goals, the girls, who will be joined by friend Stephanie Whitaker, will deliver casseroles they prepared to Ronald McDonald Houses across the country.

“We wanted to raise awareness about how important non-medical support is for families dealing with cancer,” said Blair Hickman, specifying the comfort provided by food. “Casseroles are like the symbol of community support.”

On June 6 they will proceed by car to Ronald McDonald Houses located along the cross-country route their mother had taken with her friends, stopping off in a number of cities including Loma Linda, Calif., where their mother received a series of radiation treatments.

“We really wanted to preserve the integrity of that trip,” said Blair Hickman, who said she and Kelsea have researched their mom’s trip by looking at memorabilia and maps from years ago.

The Hickmans’ journey will end as they head back east, dropping off Whitaker in Toronto, Canada where she currently resides and head to Blair Hickman’s current hometown of Manhattan, N.Y. Kelsea Hickman will then return to Chattanooga having completed a trip that is sure to have made the girls’ mother quite proud.

Monetary donations are welcome and will go to fund the girls’ drive and any car maintenance they might need.