Eight women from Washington State are doing something rather extraordinary to raise funds for The Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Showing Support with Awareness (SSA-Y2K), Climb for the Cure Event. They are climbing Mt. Rainier August 19-20, 2000.
What's so unusual about that, you ask? Women have climbed Mt. Rainier since 1890 when Fay Fuller, the first woman to accomplish the feat, made her mark at the top of the mountain. The uniqueness comes from how the event started.
Carolyn Power, the founder of the group, was looking for individuals to climb "the mountain" (as I'll call it) as a fundraiser for breast cancer as early as May 1999 at her workplace, a federal building in Auburn. She targeted athletic types for the feat and the initial conversation to invite participants garnered a few takers. Power continued to promote her cause as folks signed up for the climb.
Jeri Kohut says Power got the idea from folks calling to report deaths from cancer at work. When Power got a call at work from a woman with breast cancer and a man about his wife dying of cancer, she knew she had to do something to get more involved in the fight for cancer. She questioned what she was doing with her life and how she could help. The next day she looked up at Mt. Rainier, according to Kohut, and said to herself, "That's it! I'll climb Mt. Rainier to raise funds to help fight breast cancer and help others be more aware of this awful disease."
The first planning team meeting was August 9, 1999. Since that time the climbers have gotten together to train most weekends. There were more than eight folks at that time; when they needed to commit and pay money for a date and guide company to lead them on the climb, only the current members stayed the course.
Kohut, said, "Several women expressed interest, but as time went on, she (Carolyn) found them backing out for various reasons." Kohut continues, "She then asked others in the facility, some less athletic looking (including me)." When she was asked, Kohut immediately answered, "I'd love to! I always wanted to climb Mt. Rainier but never thought I would ever actually do it."
So with additional participants, group plans materialized. Eight women, all Federal employees, set to work. Besides Power and Kohut, the other team members are: Elizabeth Bobadilla, Marva Bright, Darlene Parks, Nancy Rogers, Cindy Seelaus and Peggy Shimono. Shimono serves as the team historian and is keeping records. The team has meeting notes and keeps a photo album.
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