Help a climber as he learns to send again!

At the end of April of this year, Seattle-based rock climber and our dear friend, Chad, fell close to 100 feet at Index Town Walls after a freak rockfall incident cut his rope while top-roping. Thanks to his solid climbing partners, the generous and knowledgeable community of Index, WA, Snohomish SAR & medics and sheer luck, Chad survived the fall. He suffered two crushed vertebrae and a serious spinal cord injury.

Now months later, thanks to the talented teams at Providence Everett, UW Medical Center, and his community of loved ones, Chad is recovering at home in Ballard. He is learning how to walk and manage his life independently while we all know he is really preparing his body as best he can to pick up where he left off: running 50-milers, sending hard, scrambling in the North Cascades, biking the flowy trails of lower BC and Whatcom County, cooking for his rockstar partner, Tam, getting out of town with friends - and some crazy new sport none of us have thought to try yet.

Thankfully, Chad is insured and in a union. These benefits have supported him so far, but it is a long road ahead with a lot of uncertainty. It is not clear when he’ll be able to return to work. Let’s come together to help Chad recoup his out-of-pocket max and, if we can, get their summer rent paid so Chad, Tam, and his care team can focus on recovery. Reducing stress and worry is essential to a successful recovery. We can help.

Chad is a lifelong athlete, a former mountain guide, a military veteran, a member of IBEW Local 46, and a generous friend, brother, and son. Let’s help Chad not worry about money. Please stretch yourself and give generously to get him and his crew some support. Consider giving what you would spend on a weekend in the mountains - the gas, the day of PTO, the gear, permits, the snacks, and the after adventure beer and burger. It will be a chunk of time until that is a normal part of Chad’s life again, and our donations will add ease to his life as he hustles the shit out of PT & OT.