Update and Being Back Home

Sorry that we weren't able to update you all for quite some time!  I lost my phone during a bit of a scare we had and that kept us from updating everyone.  so, here is a brief one:

Two groups left on Saturday night to summit: Lori, Pilar and Amber left at 11pm. Tanya, Steph H., Steph W, Michelle, Shelly, Betsy, Rachel, and Colleen left at midnight.  The goal was for us all to meet at the summit. 

What happened to the others, you ask?  Donna had decided to quit the climb after the first day of climbing, so she was hanging out in Moshi.  Maureen twisted her ankle on day three, so she was sent down the mountain to rest, as well.  Claudine had difficulty with altitude sickness and was turned back on day four and was not allowed to continue to the summit.  So, the rest of the group was divided and our goal was to meet at the top for photos and to celebrate.

The going was really difficult, as it was cold and dark but we really wanted to reach the summit, so we plowed on and on, placing one step in front of the other, focused on the tast ahead while also trying to combat nausea along the way.  Not everyone felt sick, but some of us did feel the effects of the altitude.  In fact, Steph W. (the Mountain Goat) had to turn around back once she reached Stella Point because she didn't have enough oxygen in her system.  Tanya and Shelly threw up along the way up but managed to get back in line to continue the climb.  Finally, after a looooong hike, Lori, Pilar and Steph W. made it to Stella Point.  Steph. H, Tanya, Shelly, Betsy, Rachel, Colleen, and Michelle summited at Uhuru Peak, the highest point in Africa.

On our way down the mountain, we had to come down on scree, which is NASTY on the knees. We used our poles a lot and tried our best not to fall.  Sadly, Betsy did fall and managed to knock her shoulder out of its socket.  Michelle and Tanya spent a long 2 hours waiting with Betsy on the trail for help to come.  They tried unsuccessfully to put her shoulder back in the socket, which was incredibly painful for Betsy.  At last, a trauma surgeon came by and he also tried to relocate the shoulder, to no avail.  To make a long story short, Betsy was moved down the mountain by a bunch of porters who transported her on a guerney by foot all the way to the bottom.  Her shoulder was fixed at a hospital in Moshi and we all reunited on Monday afternoon. 

The rest of the team arrived at Mbahe Farm in time to shower and pack before eating a celebratory meal with the porters and guides who made our trip possible.  We had a blast together!  Our team had the opportunity to thank the porters and guides for an amazing experience and we took full advantage of it.  We ate together and shared songs and laughter.  Together, we celebrated into the night.

Yesterday, we all left Tanzania in order ot come back home.  We made it safely and now, sitting in the living room writing this, I am grateful to each of the amazing women who joined me on this adventure.  I am proud to call them friends and look forward to other adventures with them in the future as we help children affected by AIDS.

Team on the Way to Africa

There is a team of Canadian and American women heading to Kenya today.  While there, they will visit one of the hospitals we support, as well as an orphanage which houses and cares for 56 little girls orphaned by AIDS.  These women come from all walks of life and from all over Canada and USA.  After a couple of days of visiting our projects and cuddling some seriously gorgeous girls, the team will head out to Tanzania to climb Kilimanjaro.

I am incredibly excited about this team because they are women who deeply care and who are going beyond themselves to help.  They didn't let a little issue like fundraising stop them!  They got creative, raising funds in their respective countries. The Canadian portion is raising funds for the Stephen Lewis Foundation and the Americans are raising funds for AFCA.  This is a neat partnership and we wish the ladies a safe journey and wonderful time and trek.

Happy travels!

Gear Check!

After a cup of organic Tanzanian coffe and fresh fruit, eggs, and bread for breakfast and a morning of hiking and resting (and John running with Simon - the world record holder for the quickest ascent up Kilimanjaro), the team is now going through gear check.  This is to ensure that they have everything they need, that the items they have are in good condition, and that they are all packed and ready to start their climb tomorrow morning.  Tents are being aired out, as well as sleeping bags and pads.  The crew is excited to get going and are making sure every detail is being looked after. 

Climb Up So Kids Can Grow Up 2010 Events

Now that 2010 is upon us, we at American Foundation for Children with AIDS are getting excited about this autumn's Climb Up So Kids Can Grow Up events to raise awareness and funds to support children with AIDS in Sub-Saharan Africa – Democratic Republic of Congo, Kenya, Uganda, and Zimbabwe -- by providing life-saving medicine, nutritional support, humanitarian relief, and medical supplies/equipment to HIV+ children, their HIV+ guardians and HIV+ pregnant women.



Our four events are:

1. Climb Up the World – the third weekend in September, individuals and teams anywhere in the world are invited to climb, hike, cycle, or walk wherever they are.

2. Climb Up the 50 – during a ten-day window of opportunity in the Summer, individuals and teams will hike or climb to the highest peak in their state

3. Climb Up Kilimanjaro – 12 individuals will go to Kilimanjaro, Tanzania to climb the highest peak in Africa. They leave USA on September 11th, 2010

4. Climb Up in Charlotte – Inner Peaks Climbing Gym puts on a fabulous day of competition, raffles, yoga, massage, clinics, etc on the first weekend of November.

More information about all four Climb Up So Kids Can Grow Up events is now available on our website, http://www.climbupsokidscangrowup.com.

Charlotte, Here we Come

I am so excited about the events in Charlotte this November! Planning is already underway for "Eat to Live!" (Saturday, November 6th) which invites the public out to sample food from Charlotte's best restaurants - some of which are event getting on board with the African theme and putting their spin on African dishes. The best African dish will be awarded the "Eat to Live Award" (for bragging rights, and a little PR). The event will also include an African drumming circle (thanks to One Neighborhood - http://www.one-neighborhood.org) raffles and an auction of some fine merchandise. It's going to be such a fun night of raising awareness and funding for AFCA. I can't wait to see what else will be in store as we continue the planning of Eat to live!

We're also working with Inner Peaks Climbing Center (http://www.innerpeaks.com)for an evening of climbing, competitions, prizes and hopefully a special guest or two. This event will take place on Saturday, November 7th. What a cool group of people at Inner Peaks, they are as excited about it as we are! Last year, the Charlotte team did such an amazing job with Inner Peaks, we decided to make it an official event!

We'll be keeping you posted on this and other events. If you're in the Charlotte area, we hope to see you on the 6th or 7th of November. If not, go ahead and register for an event that you can participate in wherever you are!

www.climbupsokidscangrowup.com

See you at the top.
CUSKCGU

Climb Up the 50 Dates

The dates have been set for Climb Up The 50! What is Climb up the 50? Hikers and climbers from each of the 50 states will climb to their highest peak to show that we are united in fighting AIDS. These individuals and teams will also raise funds for the AFCA by having friends, family and co-workers sponsor them and their climb. All proceeds will go to American Foundation for Children with AIDS and help children in Africa who are suffering from this deadly disease by providing them with medication, food and supplies that they desperately need.

This year, the climb is from May 23-31. Memorial day finds itself within that time frame and we hope that the holiday will be to our advantage in acquiring participants.

If you would like to sign up for Climb Up the 50 and represent your state, please visit www.climbupsokidscangrowup.com and fill out the application. If you have questions, please contact Kendra at 717-798-8335.

Current Sponsors

Counting on companies for sponsorships and donations in times like these is no easy task. I find myself talking to more and more people about the economy and cut-backs, the dedication to environmental issues alone or the dedication to help people that need assistance in their home country. We are just one of many organizations calling on them for help and support. Times are hard right now and everyone has the right to set limitations on their giving. One company can't do it all. Of course, we too, care about the envoirnment and people that need help in our own backyards. Many of us give to other organizations out of our own pockets that do just that.

But this is the battle that we choose to fight. And we're going to continue our dedication to those that are counting on us. Those that need us to survive... to have a future. Because they may be across the ocean, but the way we look at it, we live in one world. And these are our children too.

However, companies like Adventure Medical Kits, Anhu Footwear, Larabar, and Merrell have been just some of the first to sign on, and we are looking forward to seeing more companies like them join the fight against HIV and AIDS in Africa. Because we are a small, grass-roots organization, we count on companies and organizations like them to feel the spirit of what we are doing and help out in any way that they can and we are grateful for their support. We are looking forward to seeing more companies like them come on board in 2009.

And because they share your concern and dedication to the AFCA, consider supporting these companies as well. If you need a product or serve that they offer, visit them first. Just something to think about...

We will have a full list of sponsors on the site soon, check back for more information on who is backing us up and giving us the opportunity to do more than we could do alone.

If you or your company would like to become a sponsor, please contact us. We would love to have you as part of our team.

Call today to find out more about donations and sponsorships - 717-798-8335

Team Kilimanjaro

Team Kilimanjaro is well under way with 8 of the twelve climbers signed up and already doing some fundraising. You can click on their names on the left to learn more about each of them (as well as participants in other events - more added as they sign up) and follow their journey throughout the year as they prepare for the climb of a lifetime! Please feel free to make a donation to the climber of your choice if you feel the urge to help them (and AFCA)!

The team consists of both men and women who have dedicated their time, physical abilities and hearts to our cause. The team includes businessmen/women, moms, dads, humanitarians, outdoor lovers, marathon runners and climbers. They each have a great story, a huge heart and the desire to help children suffering from HIV/AIDS.

They will each raise $10,000 for this endeavor. Half of that will allow them to pay for the trip and the other half will go directly to the AFCA. This is no easy task, but it is not impossible.

Interested in becoming a member of the team? Go to ClimbUpSoKidsCanGrowUp to learn more and register!

We are very excited about Team Kilimanjaro and the dedication that they have shown to Climb Up and AFCA. We look forward to this trip and allowing them to reach their personal goals, as they allow us to save more children in Africa that so desperatly need our help.

Welcome!

Welcome to the blog for Climb Up So Kids Can Grow Up! We will be posting information on our events, sponsors, participants, news and more. We may even have some "guest bloggers" stop by and share their thoughts.

By starting this blog, we hope that more people will join us this year in our fight to save the lives of children suffering from HIV & AIDS in Africa. It's easy, just register on www.climbupsokidscangrowup.com and talk to your family, friends, co-workers about sponsoring you. We make it easy by setting you up with your own fundraising page and giving you pointers on how to raise money for the AFCA.

Prizes, you ask? Of course! Prizes will be given to those who raise the most in each event!

Did you know....
When you register for Climb Up the World (our staple event), you can participate wherever you are in the world? "Climb Up The World" happens the third weekend in September and you can climb, hike, run, walk, cycle from anywhere!

This year, we have included a new event - in Africa! Climb Up Kilimanjaro is a 10 day trip where you and 11 other team members will climb to Africa's highest point to help save the lives of children with HIV & AIDS. Interested? There are only 4 spots left on the team, so go to www.climbupsokidscangrowup.com to learn more and register!

Represent your state this summer in "Climb Up the 50"! One or more people from each state will climb to their highest peak this summer and show that we are united in fighting this deadly disease!

That's all for now. Thanks for stopping by, come back often (or why not subscribe to this blog to get more information as it comes?), share your thoughts and, of course, register for Climb Up 2009!