This Story from the Community comes from Matt Kowalczyk, an old friend and upper Wallingford resident who founded a charity, Climb for Kids, in memory of his daughter, Emma, whom he lost to TTTS.
Every so often comes a time to push yourself to the limit for the betterment your community. Recently, groups of mountaineers, some from our own hood, embarked upon mountaineering trips in the Northwest and in the Alps to raise money for a Wallingford charity called Climb For Kids. Three groups have successfully reached their climbing goals so far, with only one team remaining.
Early in June, five climbers went on a trek through the beautiful North Cascades to try their hand at Ruth Mountain. At 7,500 ft mountain is a relatively easy ascent, offering climbers a incredible views of Mt. Shuksan and Mt. Baker from it’s summit. However, on this particular weekend, climbers had to battle massive old growth avalanche debris and twisted ankles to reach its precipice.
A few weeks ago, a second team went for the summit of Salahe Peak, a lesser known, but more technical peak which was more spectacular than we had given credit to. With unobstructed views of the Cascades, after a day and a half of climbing our team was fortunate enough to experience all the beauty the mountains of the Northwest have to offer. Pictures from the climb are still forthcoming.
Then just a few days ago, I took a very special trip to Chamonix, France to scale a peak that eluded me once before. Mont Blanc, the tallest peak in Western Europe, is a mountain of majesty that is unlike any mountain I have ever climbed. Standing at 15,800 feet (1,400 feet taller than Mt Rainier!), it was perhaps one my most difficult climbs to date. Battling strong winds, limited oxygen, and memories of my daughter consuming each step, I was able to summit the peak at 8:30 am on July 30th. It was an incredibly emotional accomplishment for me.
Finally, another generous group of climbers is off this weekend to try their hand at Mt. Rainier. Seven of us will be pushing ourselves in an effort to raise awareness about fetal syndrome issues. We have been working hard to prepare for this trek, as it is the most strenuous climb a number of the participants have ever attempted. Tagging along will be a film crew from UrsusFilms who will be shooting a documentary about us. KOMO news man, Luke Ducey will also be on board too to provide a local news perspective.
All in all, this little Wallingford organization has so far been able to raise enough money to provide travel assistance for 30 families across the country. As we top off on another peak, our goal is to provide help to just another family who needs it. We are always on the look out for help from the community, so if you want to make a donation, please visit our web site. If you want to help or you have an event you’d like to host for our cause, make sure you email us at info [at] climbforkids [dot] org.
Thank you, Matt!
Inspirational. Thanks for sharing.