An open letter to my past climbers and potential climbers:
It's getting close to that time of year... The next Hustle up the Hancock is Sunday, February 22, 2009. Registration, which is usually on November 1st – this year will be on Monday, November 3rd, beginning at 8:00am sharp! Registration will again be $110 for the full climb -- and I will have full and a half-climb teams.
I'd love a shout back if you're thinking about joining my team this year – this is not a commitment, it's just to give me an idea whether you might be interested.
I will likely sign up early, on October 15th, and commit to raising $1,000 to be able to create my team. I will send another email shortly before November 3rd that will link to our team registration that you should be able to use on November 3rd at 8:00am. If you join our team prior to November 3rd, you will be committing to raise $1,000.
Some of you climbed for the first time last year -- many of you have climbed with me several times. A few of you are thinking about climbing with me for the first time. The last several years, some of my "inner circle" have listened to me rattle on about it being my last year... I guess one of these years that will happen -- but this is one of the more visible things I do to remember Kari, and to tell people about her... It's hard to give this up. This is what I do.
Last year you helped my team raise over $31,000. Over the past six years we've been doing this, you've helped my team raise over $160,000 for the Respiratory Health Association. How many teams have you been on that have raised that kind of money for a cause??? I've never been on one and all of you amaze me. Do you have any idea how proud I've been to have you on my teams? Do you know what it feels like to see so many people with Kari's name on their back, and her number on their sleeve? Do you know what it feels like to be near her friends -- near people who loved her? Do you know that this makes her Mom & Dad proud, of who she was, and what she's done for others, including me?
You've helped me raise money for a good cause – a cause I truly understand since I understand what it feels like being unable to breathe... But more important to me, you've helped me tell people about my hero, Kari, in a very special way. Thank you.
My www.ClimbingForKari.org website isn't quite updated yet, but the sign-up information and links for the 11/3/2008 registration are there – I’ll update the rest soon. There is a link with 2009 information from the RHAMC below. And here is a fun link about something I get to do a few months before the Hustle:
http://revivehope.typepad.com/revive_hope/2008/08/light-bulb-ligh.html
Please drop me a line if you're interested in signing up this year... And thank-you again for climbing with me in the past!
Love,
Steve
This is a note I sent to people who have climbed with me over the past six years, and to a few who have shown interest in climbing with me.
I try to do as much as I can to promote organ donation. I have a lot of friends who need new lungs – and friends who need other organs. I know donor family members, including one who climbs with me – I like to honor them. I also climb in memory of some friends who didn’t survive the wait. Some of my speaking engagements may be more emotional to me – but this climb has become what I do – it’s become a platform to show others what I can do, and how special and important organ donation truly is. It’s become one of my platforms to tell people about Kari, and what she means to me.
And it’s become a pretty wonderful platform – it’s resulted in quite a bit of media coverage about me and my team, and most special to me, about Kari. We’ve had dozens of newspaper and TV spots. Last year there was a beautiful front-page story in her hometown titled “Remembering Kari” (Cover – Page 9 – be aware, these are pretty large .pdf files…) We’ve raised quite a bit of money to help the Respiratory Health Association of Metro Chicago battle lung disease… And they’ve helped me tell thousands of people about the girl who saved my life.
Here is my personal Hustle page. If you want to join my team, here is my team page – at the bottom, there is a “Join our team” button. Regular registration opens on November 3rd. It will sell out on November 3rd. If you’re thinking about it – give me a holler…
This picture has probably appeared a dozen times throughout this blog. Sue me – it’s my post and I get to put what I want here. Behind me is the building we climb. In my arms, is why I climb. It’s my favorite picture in the world – in my mind's eye, this is how I see myself, always.
