A week before Charlotte's 3rd birthday our community came together for a fundraiser. Our friend, Gord McArthur (an avid rock climber) came up with a very "courageous" idea to raise funds for both
Ronald McDonald House and for Charlotte care. The Courageous Journey was by far the most grueling thing that he had ever undertaken, climbing the same wall for 24 hours. Our favourite coffee shop,
Hot Shots, was the location of the climb- they stayed open the entire night and donated part of their proceeds to this Journey.
Following is few little excerpts copied from
Gords blog. (click here to see his blog)
"... Last year, encouraged by a family battling along side their ill daughter, I felt the urge to help…but how? I wasn’t enthused about baking and selling pies, nor was I psyched to host a car wash. So, I decided to get a couple of buddies and do the 24hr climb…the three of us on a 35ft man made climbing wall. At the end of the 24hr marathon we had raised a good chunk of money and felt accomplished with what we had set out to do. The three of us had split up the 24hrs and in the end were able to help a worthy foundation; the Ronald McDonald House, Southern Alberta. Case closed.
2 months ago I was asked if I would ever do the 24hr fundraiser again. Without hesitation I shut down such a thought with authority. Any such idea was out of the question-PERIOD. That was until I heard about our friends, the Amsings and what Charlotte, the youngest daughter, was going through.... I knew I had to help..."
"... I began the logistical process of organizing the “Courageous Journey” fundraiser. Weeks of preparation, acquiring supplies for the climbing wall, designing the advertising plan, canvassing for donations and gift items for the silent auction. Compared to last year, the task of putting this together was far and above what I had expected. Thank goodness for all the kind people that “chipped” in with time, energy, and donation."
Here is Gord on one of his last climbs for the Journey.
Although she was a little tired that day Charlotte made it out to give Gord a flower to say thanks. Pink of course, her favourite colour... actually the only colour in her vocabulary.
Hugs from his little girl, what a good way to end such a long day/night/day.
In his blog Gord said, "There was never a time that I was solely on my own. Whether my gracious belayers, the two amazing people that massaged and took care of my body all night long, supporters in lawn chairs, wrapped in blankets, cheering me on, random visits from friends in the middle of the night, the staff and late night coffee drinkers in the Café next to the wall (the café opted to stay open for the full 24hrs, in support of the fundraiser), and even some local scrapbookers that decided to scrapbook in the café for the greater part of the night. I can’t even begin to describe how grateful I was for such support from so many wonderful people."
One of the girls working at Hots Shots organized a crane folding event for Charlotte.
"The Japanese tradition of senbazuru promises that a person who folds 1000 cranes will be granted a wish, such as long life or recovery from illness. Many times a family or group of people come together to accomplish this labor of love."
We were told that many people from our community came by to help fold cranes for Charlotte. While I have heard the story about folding cranes before I don't think I have ever actually seen that many together, they were so beautiful and exquisite. Charlotte really enjoyed taking a good look, turning them all over, running her hand through the strings of cranes. They are proudly hanging in her bedroom now, a reminder of the love and support from our friends in this community.
Thank you to everyone who made this Courageous Journey possible. We greatly appreciate how much love and support we have received in this community. I know that Ronald McDonald house appreciates that support as well.
