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June 15, 2010
These triumphant words are those every child battling cancer longs to hear. And the same words literally echoed throughout the mountain for the Climb for Five team as they summited the peak of Mt. Kilimanjaro in Tanzania. On May 26th, team leader Patrick Mc Carrick and fellow climbers Damián Hernandez and Jon Koot conquered the five leg trek to 19,341 foot Uhurua Peak in honor of the St. Baldrick’s Foundation’s five 2010 Child Ambassadors, who represent the startling reality that one in five children diagnosed with cancer will not survive.
Making their mark in St. Baldrick’s history, the Climb for Five is the Foundation’s first event to take place in Africa and culminate on top of one of the tallest free standing mountains in the world, and raised nearly $16,000 for St. Baldrick's while doing so. Though the team experienced physical pain and severe altitude sickness during their ascent, they were constantly reminded of the parallels between their climb and the battle kids with cancer face daily.
“Every day there was something that represented the Ambassador kids; something that was inspirational,” Patrick shares. “The three of us were trying to motivate each other, and then we thought – the kids have motivation. If they can get through their day, we can do this!”
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Each leg of the climb was made for one of the five Child Ambassadors. First for Khalid, whose favorite pirate hat accompanied the team past deserted caves – ones surely fit for pirates! Leg two was boldly climbed to honor Sara, as her pink boa caught eyes from passers-by, also trekking the mountain. The “Team Zoe” shirt and wristband were proudly displayed during the third leg of the trek, and in true “Zoe fashion,” brought attention to the Climb for Five by more passers-by. Ty remained ever-present in the climbers’ minds during the fourth leg of the ascent, as they reflected on Ty’s journey with cancer, which ultimately cost him his leg.
And while completing the last and most challenging stretch – leg five, in memory of Averi who passed away on March 12, 2009 at age 16 – Patrick, Jon and Damián were greeted by a breathtaking African sunrise as they reached the mountain’s summit – a special sunrise, crafted just for them! “We thought of Averi when we summited as the sunrise was breathtaking – it was Averi shining her light on us,” Patrick recalls. “I was very emotional, and probably showed it more than anyone else. There was a feeling of relief, that everyone had actually made it. And relief that all the effort and planning since September had paid off – we pulled it off! The summit was emotional not just for the five Ambassador kids, but also because there was such a feeling of relief and joy.”
This same joy was shared throughout the St. Baldrick’s community, who rallied in support of the first ever Climb for Five! The Climb for Five was followed and actively supported through the Climb for Five Facebook Fan Page, where updates and videos from the climb can still be viewed. The Climb for Five team is completing a short documentary of the trek which should be available for viewing in the near future. We’ll keep you posted! Photos from the climb can also be enjoyed on the St. Baldrick’s Photostream, on Flickr.
Show your support for the Climb for Five team by joining the “Donors for Five” club, Liking their Fan Page on Facebook, and sharing this story with your social networks.
Special thanks to Cory Kellerson for designing all logos, artwork and graphics used in the promotion of the climb, and to the Climb for Five sponsors who helped make the trek possible: Virgin Atlantic and La Brea Bakery, along with Cuisine de France, Fills Gas Station, Otis Spunkmeyer, Pit Stop Oil and VODA Communications.
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