Mt. Everest 2005: ALTRUISTIC COUPLE CLIMB EVEREST FOR CHARITY: Update

Update: Saturday, April 16: We spent the day (as we will for the next couple of weeks) at basecamp acclimatizing to the high altitude and training for the Khumbu icefall, including walking on ladders, ice repelling, attaching trek members but ropes and carabineers, and standardizing equipment. The signed prayer flags from the Trek to the Top event have been hung up at basecamp and have been blessed by the local llamas. We also have a Canadian flag on our tent. Next week, we will start the ascent to the upper camps, starting with Camp 1, then Camp 2, and then back down to basecamp to acclimatize again. We will be doing this ‘leap frogging’ back and forth from the upper camps and basecamp until mid-May when we will try to summit – hopefully the weather will be in our favour! Spirits are high as the team puts their crampons and ice picks into action!!

Wednesday, April 13: The team arrived at basecamp around 6:30pm, after an incredible walk up the glacier. Everyone is tired but feeling good (Rob is still battling a cold and chest infection though). In the clear, crisp weather, the team set up their tents and joined the many other groups who are also settled at basecamp. Communication can now be formally set up. The team will enjoy
meeting some of their fellow travellers in the next day or so, and sharing their stories and good Canadian hospitality!

Background

Rob Follows, Founder and Chairman of Altruvest Charitable Services as well as Chairman of Maritz Canada Inc., the largest performance improvement company in Canada, and his new bride, Katrina Sandling, will scale Mt. Everest in May 2005, it was announced today at a kick-off event at the Sutton Place Hotel.  The event drew over 100 influential attendees from the business and philanthropic sectors to celebrate and support the Everest campaign.

In the presence of Ang Dorjee Sherpa, a famous Sherpa, who has now scaled Everest 10 times and will be climbing with them, Follows explained that for the Everest trek the team represents Everest for Altruvest, a one-year fundraising initiative to raise over $1,000,000 to launch the Altruvest Vision Fund. The Fund will help ensure Altruvest’s long-term sustainability to help hundreds of charities improve their performance. The couple's altruistic wish is to inspire more contributions to Altruvest, all of which will leveraged to help small and medium sized charities in Canada contribute more to their communities.

Why Everest for Altruvest?  Rob Follows commented, "With over 250,000 board volunteers needed annually, most Canadian charities need help to find the skilled and dedicated volunteers to build better governed organizations and deliver more services to their communities. Altruvest is a bridge between new business and professional volunteers who can contribute a lot to the charitable sector and charities that need and want new board members.”

He continued "As Everest inspires people to stretch their performance, so too can Altruvest, through further funding, help charities improve their performance and strengthen communities. Through a growing donor base, Altruvest can generate tools for charities for generations to come. And in closing, "Just as Everest has become an international inspiration, Altruvest, as a Canadian best practice, will also become an inspiring global leader."

Murray Koffler, Founder, Shoppers Drug Mart and Philanthropist of the Year Award recipient remarked, "Altruvest has made an enormous contribution by innovating the means whereby volunteers are encouraged and assisted to serve on boards of charitable organizations.  This further expands their ability to serve the communities they support.  As well, Altruvest assists these organizations in improving their governance to function more efficiently.  Rob Follows' exciting venture, with Katrina, climbing Everest for Altruvest will go a long way in highlighting their work and deserves every support".

In conclusion he added, "One should also underline that this is not a self promoting stunt. 100% of donations go directly to charity and Rob and Katrina are covering all of their own costs for the climb."

This climb marks the fifth of Rob and Katrina's 'seven summits' on their goal to scale the highest summit on each continent in support of the Everest for Altruvest campaign.  So far, they have summitted 4 of the 7 summits, with the plan to do the 5th in June:

Kilimanjaro, Tanzania                      (19,563 ft.) Oct. 2003

Aconcagua, Argentina                     (22,841 ft.) Jan.  2004

Elbrus, Russia                                  (18,481 ft.) Aug. 2004

Vinson, Antarctica                           (16,066 ft.) Nov. 2004

Everest, Nepal                                (29,035 ft.) May 2005

McKinley, Alaska                           (20,320 ft.) June 2005

With a departure date of March 31st scheduled, altitude training and physical conditioning are vital. To ensure strong conditioning, Rob and Katrina have just completed a qualifying climb on Mount Vinson, Antarctica in severe, –60C° conditions.  Their commitment goes beyond simply reaching the summit, as they were also wed at the top of Mt. Vinson, just last November. 

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