{"id":5328,"date":"2015-08-24T06:00:05","date_gmt":"2015-08-24T13:00:05","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/?p=5328"},"modified":"2018-11-11T21:56:19","modified_gmt":"2018-11-12T05:56:19","slug":"reis-second-climb-for-a-cause-benefits-more-than-charity","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/climb\/reis-second-climb-for-a-cause-benefits-more-than-charity","title":{"rendered":"Echoes at High Altitude: REI\u2019s Second Climb for a Cause Benefits More than Charity"},"content":{"rendered":"

This summer, 16 REI employees\u2014including CEO Jerry Stritzke\u2014braved Mount Rainier\u2019s harrowing crevasses for the second annual Climb for a Cause fundraiser. But, calling it a charity climb is only scratching the volcano\u2019s snow-crusted surface.<\/p>\n

The fundraiser got its start after a 2013 climb left several REI co-op employees stranded on Mount Rainier in a whiteout. Appreciative of the Mount Rainier National Park<\/a> climbing rangers who saved them, they vowed to improve future search and rescue efforts.<\/p>\n

\"Mt<\/p>\n

The result was a budding relationship between the climbers and the Washington National Park Fund<\/a> (WNPF). REI partnered with WNPF and organized two fundraising climbs up Mount Rainier. The first Climb for a Cause<\/a> in 2014 raised $98,000 for a communications link to Camp Schurman, a high altitude climbers\u2019 camp with a ranger station. This year\u2019s climb raised over $130,000 for the WNPF. The use for this year\u2019s funds has not yet been decided, but it will be a priority project that benefits park users and staff. And for three of the climbers, that\u2019s only a small part of the story.<\/p>\n

Triumph Before the Trailhead<\/h4>\n

By the time summit day arrived, two members of the 2015 team had already accomplished much greater feats. Courtney Hans successfully beat a recent breast cancer diagnosis, and Wendy Walters bounced back from a 2010 car accident that badly affected her health.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe hardest part of having breast cancer was accepting the help and support of friends and family,\u201d says Courtney, a customer service supervisor for REI Adventures. \u201cThis is an amazing way to give back.\u201d<\/p>\n

As for Wendy, she\u2019s lost over 130 pounds and improved her health enough to escape the medications required for her injuries and subsequent diabetes. In the last six months alone she logged over 200 miles with a 40-pound pack.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve really dedicated myself to this,\u201d says Wendy, a sales specialist in Sumner, Washington. \u201cIt\u2019s a great cause, and I can\u2019t believe how many people have been encouraging.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Climb<\/p>\n

Snow Bridge to the Past<\/h4>\n

For team member Ashkan Ghashghai, the joy of mountaineering is looking back on his progress. \u201cFor me, that\u2019s inspirational,\u201d says Ashkan, a sales lead in Houston.<\/p>\n

But the climb offers more than just a quick glimpse of his ascent. When he was 12 years old, he lost his father, a dedicated outdoor enthusiast. As a result, he\u2019s long wanted to get into mountaineering. It wasn\u2019t until the Texas native became an REI employee about three years ago that he found the resources to do so.<\/p>\n

\u201cClimbing now helps me connect to him,\u201d says Ashkan, looking at an image of his father gripping an ice axe. \u201cBut I also believe in this cause and hope every dollar we raised helps save a life on the mountain.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Climb<\/p>\n

Healing at High Altitude<\/h4>\n

In the end, the benefits of the climb transcended stats and numbers. For Courtney, the journey never had much to do with summiting a 14,000-foot peak. It was more about impacting the lives of future climbers and proving to her kids that cancer didn\u2019t slow down their mom. \u201cMy type of cancer has a higher than average recurrence rate under three years. Summiting gave me the confidence boost that I\u2019ll pass the three-year mark.\u201d<\/p>\n

While Wendy didn\u2019t make the summit, her journey was a complete success. \u201cI am in the best shape of my life, \u201cshe says. \u201cI discovered I could do things I never thought possible.\u201d She\u2019s still dedicated to training and plans to ultimately reach her goal.<\/p>\n

\"Climb<\/p>\n

As for a resonating highlight of the experience, all three climbers talk about the camaraderie and positive relationships developed at high altitude. But Ashkan sums it up perfectly. \u201cNo other company would have its CEO and other employees from across the country get together for such an amazing outcome. It changed my life and perspective on things dramatically.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Climb<\/p>\n

All photos provided by Kevin Fuji<\/em>i – #REIEmployee.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/span>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

This summer, 16 REI employees\u2014including CEO Jerry Stritzke\u2014braved Mount Rainier\u2019s harrowing crevasses for the second annual Climb for a Cause fundraiser. But, calling it a charity climb is only scratching the volcano\u2019s snow-crusted surface. The fundraiser got its start after a 2013 climb left several REI co-op employees stranded on Mount Rainier in a whiteout. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":5335,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[352,113,115],"internal-tag":[493,1674,495,496],"class_list":["post-5328","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-climb","tag-climb","tag-national-park","tag-nonprofit","internal-tag-adam-setzer","internal-tag-pre-redirect-climb","internal-tag-united-states","internal-tag-washington"],"parsely":{"version":"1.1.0","canonical_url":"https:\/\/rei.com\/blog\/climb\/reis-second-climb-for-a-cause-benefits-more-than-charity","smart_links":{"inbound":0,"outbound":0},"traffic_boost_suggestions_count":0,"meta":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","headline":"Echoes at High Altitude: REI\u2019s Second Climb for a Cause Benefits More than Charity","url":"http:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/climb\/reis-second-climb-for-a-cause-benefits-more-than-charity","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"http:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/climb\/reis-second-climb-for-a-cause-benefits-more-than-charity"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2015\/08\/Fujii-080415-0128.jpg?resize=150%2C150","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2015\/08\/Fujii-080415-0128.jpg?fit=1500%2C1003"},"articleSection":"Climb","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Angela Crampton"}],"creator":["Angela Crampton"],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Uncommon Path \u2013 An REI Co-op Publication","logo":""},"keywords":["climb","national parks","nonprofits"],"dateCreated":"2015-08-24T13:00:05Z","datePublished":"2015-08-24T13:00:05Z","dateModified":"2018-11-12T05:56:19Z"},"rendered":"