Photo credit: Shuping Yin
On May 21st, #TeamSoCalHiker joined The Heroes Project for the annual Climb for Heroes hike up Mt Baldy. Our 117 team members raised $20,761 — more than any other team. And we hiked, laughed, and had a great time. Many of us even summited 10,064′ Mt San Antonio — aka Mt Baldy, some for their first time.
What is The Heroes Project?
From their website: “The Heroes Project makes the impossible a reality by empowering injured war veterans through physical and emotional training, allowing them to explore the farthest reaches of themselves and the world they live in. These expeditions challenge the severely wounded to redefine their personal limits post injury. The Heroes Project inspires our injured military veterans to find purpose, both physically and mentally, and ignites others to do the same.”
As in the past, veterans from The Heroes Project manned each of the five “camps” en route to the summit, and we had a chance to greet them, thank them for their service, and learn a bit about them.
Special Thanks
I was blown away by the generosity of time and effort that everyone on the team put in, as well as the many donors who contributed on their behalf. There are a few folks that I’d like to give special recognition to.
Our Top Six Fundraisers
These folks each raised over $500 each — well above the $100 fundraising minimum for participation. Well done!
- Lori Brookes – $1,275
- Traci Canestrale – $1,120
- Paul Williams – $835
- Cecil Crudo – $800
- Mike Gambino – $670
- Kelli Huynh – $575
Our Many Volunteers
Meredith Crane, Gerardo Perez and Mi Hoang who helped distribute our team t-shirts on the day of the event. Our volunteer photographers, including Shuping Yin (who took the great group shot above), RJ Ortiz, Karen McCartney, Angelina Segura, Cecilia Lorthioir, Kathleen Miller, Ann Winfield Baumgartner and Jode Michelle. Thanks for all of your hard work.
You can see all of our team members here on our Team SoCalHiker page on Crowdrise.
Photo Highlights
Here are some of the highlights from the day. Click a photo to start an interactive slide show.
You can find more photos here on Facebook.
It was great to see so many turn out for this great cause. We had a beautiful day and a great time. And some of us even checked off a peak for the Six-Pack of Peaks Challenge!
Hope to see you out there at next year’s Climb for Heroes!
If you would like your very own, limited edition Team SoCalHiker Summit Flag, we have a few available in the shop.
Edit: Added Cecil Crudo to our list of top fundraisers. So sorry I missed that!
Hi Jeff,
It was a great cause! Thanks for organizing it.
I raised $800, and you don’t have to give me credit for it, but this makes me wonder if The Heroes Project got the donation.
Please let me know.
Thanks.
Hi Jeff,
I am registered for the Six-Pack of Peaks Challenge and would love a Climb for Heroes badge for my profile. I raised over the minimum $100.00. Thanks again for putting this together, it was a great time, beautiful day and my first time hiking Mt Baldy and reaching the summit. YAY!!!
Hi Cecil! So sorry I missed that. It’s fixed now. 😉 Thank you so much for raising $800!
And all donations go straight through Crowdrise to The Heroes Project, so no worries there.
You’ve got it, Beatriz! 🙂
That’s awesome! Thanks for confirming, Jeff.
I just received a donation …is it too late to send it? …and where ?? Or should I save it for next year?
Thank you!!!
OH, it was a WONDERFUL day and I can’t wait to participate next year.
Elaine Hirsch
That’s awesome, Elaine! If they gave cash, you can still use the “Donate” button on your personal fundraiser page: https://www.crowdrise.com/Team-SoCal-Hiker/fundraiser/elainehirsch
Thanks Jeff, $50 added to our donation!!!…and THANK YOU for all you do for not only us hikers but everyone you reach out to.
That was an unforgettable day full of goodwill, comaderie, and celebration. Looking forward to be part of this next year.
I’m brand new here, but not new to hiking or the healing power of nature to improve the lives of wounded warriors.
Congratulations on your recent fundraising success AND HIKE! Looking forward to following your future treks as well
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