"... So, if you cannot understand that there is something in man which responds to the challenge of this mountain and goes out to meet it, that the struggle is the struggle of life itself, upward and forever upward, then you won't see why we go. What we get from this adventure is just sheer joy. And joy is, after all, the end of life. We do not live to eat and make money. We eat and make money to be able to enjoy life. That is what life means and what life is for." - George Mallory

"We are very exited to be part of this exciting journey! Rick lost his mother & brother to cancer and has a sister that is a cancer survivor.

When approached about this inspirational journey how could we say no? Life brings on new challenges each day. We want to challenge ourselves to lead a healthier life style. We want to be healthier for our children and most importantly be good roll models for them.

This journey is a special way to help raise much needed funds for the American Cancer Society!"

The fact is, that to do anything in the world worth doing, we must not stand back shivering and thinking of the cold and danger, but jump in and scramble through as well as we can.
Robert Cushing

Patrick will celebrate his 5th year being cancer-free as he and Robin prepare for this trip up Mount Kilimanjaro. They feel blessed to be part of such an inspiring group, and hope to pass along lessons learned during this journey to their daughter, Annalie.

Exploring has always been a part of my life.  I grew up in Maine with a family who loved spending time in the outdoors – hiking, camping, whitewater rafting, fishing, etc.  I went through the Tiger Cubs, Cub Scouts, and Boy Scouts to attain the rank of Eagle Scout.  Along the way, there were innumerable expeditions, hikes, camping trips, and memorable stories.  In college, I was blessed with a wonderful mentor during a co-op at Eastman Kodak Company - Jim Thies.  I am not sure exactly how it started, but I invited Jim on a hike and infected him with the hiking bug.  That set off another whole series of hikes from Maine, to the Adirondacks, to the Smokies, to the Blue Mountains, and to places inbetween.  We brought Jack Lewis on a trip – was it Mt. Washington? – and had him hooked as well!  Hiking trips for me have unfortunately been far fewer over the last few years of graduate school, but a recent visit to Rochester led Jim to talk about the Kili Climb.  He didn't know it, but he had me hooked during the first sentence!  It will be wondrous to be able to reunite with Jim and Jack for such a symbolic, momentous, and life-changing climb.

Unfortunately, cancer seems to have always been a part of my life as well.  When I was 15 years old, I lost my Grandmother to Mullerian cancer.  She lost her short battle with the aggressive cancer - a time frame that spanned just over a year and half.  We each got to say a final goodbye, visiting her in a hospice unit in Albany.  My grandfather was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 1989 and has thus far outlived anyone's expectations.  A few years ago, my Aunt Carol was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.  Just three weeks later, I was attending her funeral, utterly shocked at the swiftness of the deadly cancer.  Jim Thies, was diagnosed with prostate cancer just over a year ago and had surgery right around the time I was giving my thesis defense.  I am overjoyed that he is back climbing again, and taking on this great challenge - it is quite an inspiration.  One of my sisters has also recently had a part of cancerous skin melanoma removed.  And that's just my short list!  I am hiking and raising money in memory and support of these family and friends, as well as everyone I meet along the way.  So many people have stories to share about loved ones or friends who have developed cancer.