Summit for Someone 2014

Mount Shasta. Photo courtesy of Shasta Mountain Guides (shastaguides.com)

Summit for Someone campaign number four is now under way! This time, I will be climbing 14,179ft. Mount Shasta in California as a member of the Backpacker Magazine team to help benefit the at-risk teens Big City Mountaineers serves. With your help and my summit attempt, BCM will reach over 2000 at-risk teens nationwide.

This summer, I had the opportunity to help guide on two of BCM's week-long wilderness mentoring expeditions. We took teens from Miami and Oakland to some of the most pristine and awe-inspiring locations in the country in Yosemite and the Mammoth Lakes area of the Sierras. On both trips, I was able to see first hand the dollars from Summit for Someone campaigns as well as corporate donations from BCM's amazing sponsors hard at work. I can personally attest that every penny helped make a difference for each of the teens on those trips. Our time in the backcountry was filled with good times, learning, challenges, and most importantly, overcoming obstacles (both physical and mental) that were once thought insurmountable. All of this was possible because of donations from people just like you.  

Leading teens from Oakland through the Mammoth Lakes area near Mount Ritter and Banner Peak this July.

Please consider making a donation to my climb this year. Not only will the money go toward supporting yet another summer full of transformative mentoring experiences for teens across the country, this time, the money is also going to help BCM expand. If things go according to plan, BCM is looking to establish its first East Coast operation in the Atlanta area in the next 2-3 years. This has been a dream of mine for quite some time now, and it is finally beginning to happen. Help me bring Big City Mountaineers to the Atlanta area so that we can reach even more at-risk youth! As always, no contribution is too small, and thank you in advance for donating on my behalf!