I can’t believe it either (haven’t done any mountaineering since college), but I’m doing it in late August… this is the reason that I am reaching out to all of you for your help :-)! And please forward this on to your lists of “folks” to increase the giving circle, as this is a VERY worthy cause.
What’s the cause you ask…? Well… this cause is personal and very important to me!!! My dear friends lost their baby daughter after an incredibly valiant fight for 4.5 months. The twins were born more than two months early after a difficult pregnancy. The girls had a condition called Twin to Twin Transfusion Syndrome (TTTS) which resulted in premature delivery at which time one of the girls weighed just 1 pound 10 ounces, but was an incredible fighter – from day one all the way through to her last day.
As heartbreaking as this whole experience was, it’s an incredibly inspirational story. Her parents are taking the lesson from this and turning it into something very positive. They have started up a new non-profit organization called CLIMB FOR KIDS to raise money to help with awareness, research and family support for TTTS. Check out the website for more information.
I can’t do anything to even begin to help ease their pain, but I am doing all I can to help them raise money for their very worthwhile organization (I have also accepted a position on their board, so I can assure you that all donations are spent on “worthy” things and not a dime is wasted on administrative stuff or any other riff-raff).
So how can you help…? Go to this link and donate money :-)!!! Instead of walking miles, we are climbing mountains, and this year it’s Mt. Rainier!
http://www.climbforkids.org/donate
On that page, towards the bottom, please select “me”, James Goodman, for the climber donation…. again, all proceeds do good work. So now I am going to get personal and pull at “heart strings”….
All you parents out there that can only imagine what it must be like to lose a child… please donate!
Folks that raise money for other charities know what it’s like to reach out and ask for help from others… please donate!
Us single folks that have friends who have had heartbreaking experiences… please donate!
As for me, I am exercising and preparing for the climb. I train to ascend to 14,410’…. I’m sore, but I’m out there doing it :-)! I’m excited to summit and to help such a worthy cause, and I hope you’ll all help me support it to, by supporting me in my climb via a donation. And in case you are worried, thinking I’m nuts (many of you know I am anyway <smile>)… we are climbing with Alpine Ascents, one of the top guide outfits in the world!
So please help me help others, as I take a risk and climb Mt. Rainier to raise money for charity. Thanks for all your support in advance, and I look forward to posting pics from the summit in late August.