Mt EVEREST for the Kids!

Dear Family and Friends,

Well, it's about time I conquer another bucket list item. For those that know me personally, the desire to climb Mt Everest shouldn't come as a shock to you. For those who don't know me, welcome to the chaos! I'm so glad you are here. It has been my dream to climb Mt Everest for as long as I can remember. Continuously, I have put my body through the ringer, testing the limits and pushing myself across boundaries I didn't know existed. Whether that be the jungle in Africa or the snowcapped mountains of Norway with the Royal Marines, numerous marathons, or an Ironman- I truly believe in finding out what you're made of through the mental and physical toughness these types of excursions exhibit.

As you all know, Everest is a big feat, taking years to train and raise funds for. My goal is to climb Everest in 2028 but that takes a lot of time and preparation. Part of the preparation is climbing 3 other very difficult mountains: Mt Rainier in Washington, Mt Aconcagua in Argentina, and Mt Manaslu, the 8th biggest in the world.

Someone who has been a huge inspiration in tackling this once in a lifetime trip is my brother-in-law, Ben, one of the most adventurous people I've ever known. Ben suddenly passed away in early 2022 from a rare and undiagnosed heart disease. He was a man consumed by wanderlust- spending 6 months on a boat traveling from South America to the Fiji Islands to sleep in a hammock, watching the sun rise and fall. He is dearly missed by all of us including my wife Ellie, his twin brother Jake, parents, and the rest of his family and friends. It's only fitting that I take Ben along this journey to the top of the world where he belongs.

I have been lucky enough to have supported an organization called Experience Camps for quite some time. They were one of my first charities to raise funds for back when I was a camp counselor and am honored to support them once again. Their mission holds a new meaning for me now with the passing of Ben and I am so grateful to have the opportunity to give back the way they do in communities across the country.

https://experiencecamps.org/fundraising

Experience Camps is a nonprofit that champions the nation’s 5.3 million bereaved children and runs a network of no-cost camps that help grieving children thrive. Their programming for young people builds their coping resources, confidence, and resilience so they can experience a life rich with possibility.

I need your help to get me there! The cost of climbing Everest is a minimum of $45,000! The other mountains all together to be guided is going to cost all together roughly $30,000.

I will be donating 50% of the funds raised to Experience Camps and 50% to fund the mission. I appreciate any help given it will mean a lot to the kids that really need the support of Experience Camps.

Thank you!