Blind Kids Make it to the Top Of Kili!

Remember the meeting we had where the Foundation for Blind Children presented the blind kids who were going to climb Mt.Kilimanjaro? And remember how people at the meeting, notably Dave Barnhart (@businessbloggingpros) and Andy Finkle (@A_F) jumped in to help?
Well, here’s the result, just sent to me by Bob Hubbard:
Well, folks, we made it! 25 out of 25 of our team made it to Kilimanjaro’s 19,340 feet. Not only did we make it, we made it together as a team. Our Tanzanian guide, Nickson, was amazed and said in his 200+ ascents, rarely does the whole team make it to the top together. I can only attribute our success to our team’s common goal: to stand at the top of Africa together. It was a daunting task as several of our teammates fought intestinal bacteria, altitude sickness and near frostbite. I struggled for every breath after 18,000 feet, as did others, but I did not want to let my team down. I knew my failure would be theirs. I saw such incredible giving as sighted guides continued to call out the trail to their blind climbers even as they gasped for their own breath; guides picked up climbers’ packs and sang us to the top with their Swahili chants; teammates, so desperate for the top, descended to escort those falling behind.
I learned something on Kili: No one walks through life alone. Whether it is a spouse, a parent, a friend, a teacher, or a stranger, we all need someone, sometime. And having 24 incredible teammates to walk this special path with, I am grateful.
We are going to meet Tanner Robinson, our last blind climber at Sky Harbor tonight at 6:54 US Airways flight #77 if you’d like to join us.
You can see the incredible photos on our blog at http://www.seekiliourway.org/blogs.html. We will have video and additional information very soon.
Watch us tomorrow morning on Channel 3 at 7:40.
More to come.
Marc Ashton
Chief Executive Officer
Foundation for Blind Children