Climb for a Child Mt. Kilimanjaro Expedition to Deploy a Language Development Station

Westford, Massachusetts, January 10th, 2011 – Climb for a Child Incorporated

In their on-going mission to help children around the world through their unique cultural immersion process where they connect sponsors of children’s education to a child in need, the next Climb for a Child expedition to Mt. Kilimanjaro scheduled for February of 2012 will deploy a language development station for the children.

The Climb for a Child program is currently sponsoring the educational needs of 6 at risk children of the porters on Mt. Kilimanjaro. This years expedition will be deploying a language development station in addition to sponsoring several additional children. While exploring ways to further enhance the Climb for a Child program, the group has decided to deploy a language development station. The station consists of a donated MacBook computer with a British English copy of the Rosetta Stone language development program. The children’s school will have the Climb for a Child children fill out a log book and use the program for 15 minutes each day. The group will further require the children to read a picture story book once a week. At the end of the week, the children are to write their individual sponsors about the book.

In addition to adding several more children to the program, the next Climb for a Child expedition on February 15th of 2012, will install and train the children and the school on the usage of the station.

The Climb for Child language development plan is designed to help the children achieve several key goals:

1. Improve their English language skills using a self paced model to supplement their existing course work.
2. Improve their communications skills through simple story books and letters to and from their sponsors.
3. Help the children develop a sense of self-worth and empowerment, through self directed achievement.
4. Help develop stronger bonds between the children and their sponsors.

The concept was developed during the groups last visit. The Climb for a Child group spent two full days in the school with the children and monitored their classrooms. The biggest problem the group found was the disadvantage of being so far behind in their English language skills and the lack of confidence that this results in. “You can only bring a child from a dysfunctional government school back so far. Usually about 2 years, otherwise the social and age differences make things practically impossible. We have six very hard working and bright children that are facing this challenge.”, stated Ed Dean the founder of Climb for a Child.

While all of the children are doing very well, with the youngest children out performing the groups expectations, they feel their older children would do better if they had the tools they needed to catch-up to their classmates. Ed Dean further stated that, “Because of the backgrounds our children come from, it is not enough to have them be middle of the road. We have to encourage and enable them to out perform their classmates.” The Climb for a Child group feels that the biggest challenge the children currently face is based upon the language barrier created when they are placed into an English immersion environment.

The next Climb for a Child is scheduled for Feb 15th to March 7th of 2012. The group is currently raising funds to purchase a copy of the Rosetta Stone and hopes to find one additional MacBook computer. If you’d like to find more about sponsoring a child and having the expedition find a child for you, or you’d like to help out with the language development program, please Join Us. 100% of your donation will be used to help educate a child.

For more information please go to http://ClimbForaChild.org/ and send Ed an introduction, or Join Us today and start a child on their very own climb out of poverty.

Runners for Team Hole in the Wall put in a record effort for the children at this years New York City Marathon. 217 runners ran a total of 5,685.4 miles and have raised close to $880,000 dollars to help seriously ill children. This works out to over $150 per mile of the event. Even though the race is done, the runners continue to gather support and funding for the children. A remarkable effort by all involved.

Amy and I had the pleasure of once again gathering a few images of the event to help spread the word about the Camp and all the great work that they are doing. Amy and I calculated we walked a paltry half marathon with 60 pounds of gear searching out photo opportunities for the runners.

Please share the links and images with your friends. We hope they help rekindle some fond memories of the event for you or anyone that couldn’t cheer these folks on in person.

You can find the Team Hole in the image collections here and the New York City Marathon – 2011 Images here. I’ll be posting a few more images over the coming days.

FD Climbing Group September 14th, 2011

I often get asked how I ended up here.

“This is the true joy in life, the being used for a purpose recognized by yourself as a mighty one …. I am of the opinion that my life belongs to the whole community and as long as I live it is my privilege to do for it whatever I can. “ – George Bernard Shaw

I hope I end up being used for a purpose by allowing events and connections to lead me. Like sailing a ship in a storm, I try to go with the winds and direct the ship towards where I want to go. It is rarely in what appears to be a straight line. Allowing the wind and currents to led me has allowed make the most amazing connections. Take my recent photo shoot at First Descents for example. Back in 2008 I did a photo shoot for the AngelRide. One of the riders bought a print off me and I noticed that she lived in my home town. Seizing the opportunity to thank her and learn about this crazy coincidence, I hand delivered it. You see my home town is a bit off the path for the typical AngelRider. Turns out the young lady was a former camper at the Hole in the Wall Gang Camp, which the AngelRide benefits. When I mentioned to her what I did I thanked her for giving my photo meaning. She noted it and we kept in touch from time to time on facebook and other things. Last year she ended up at First Descents as a camper and told them about me. She sailed from the the Hole in Wall Gang Camp, to Camp supporter through the AngelRide to being a Camper at First Descents. Because I took the time to meet and thank her, the winds ended up blowing me to First Descents.

Now’s where it gets crazy. At First Descents I meet a volunteer called Cowboy. Cowboy was looking for an opportunity to make a difference teaching in Africa. I hooked up Cowboy with some Masai friends of mine in Kenya. With a week of the camp, Cowboy left for Africa. Not only will he be volunteering at a developing school in a remote part of Africa, he will be joining me in a week in South Africa helping two developing Hole in the Wall Gang Camps,  Just Footprints and Camp ‘Mamohato.

So now the tides and winds have brought us almost full circle just a little ways off from the AngelRide. We’ll be starting the trip volunteering and helping in Africa at two developing Hole in the Wall Gang Camps. We won’t be riding bikes this time, we”ll be riding motorcycles through the mountains of Lesotho. Different continent, different events, same community. Putting smiles on the faces of cancer survivors and children with life threatening disease.

I hope I’m allowing the community to blow me hither and thither in my efforts to help the children. It seems no matter where I go, great people come up to me and help on my quest. … as I live it is my privilege to do for it whatever I can.

Here are some images from the camp. As many images as there are, there are even more stories and more winds blowing in great directions thanks to the courage and strength of these people. People that I am proud to serve in whatever way I can.

Here is the DVD video collection from the celebration at the end of the week. You can also take a look at the FD image gallery.

Riding for the kids

Update: The images have been posted. Click here to see the gallery collection. There are a lot of images, so far we have hand edited almost 250 images for you.

This year we have key-worded all of the images and added a new keyword search capability. Just click on the keywords below an image and hit search to find similar photos.

If you want to search for an image try one of the following keywords:

Basic Keywords about the event:

• 2011
• Challenge Ride

Keywords about a person in the image:

• male
• female
• girl
• boy
• rider, riders
• volunteer, sag, bike repair

I key-worded up some of the jerseys to help you locate your shots:

• Aetna
• Team Hole in the Wall
• Rick’s Riders
• Army
• Angel Ride
• Team One Ton

In addition, there are some keywords about the shot for those of you that need to find a specific type of shot for a blog post or media usage. They include:

Location keywords:

• Camp
• camp circle (location info)
• pond
• cafeteria
• start
• finish
• gate

Things in the Image:

• tatoo
• road
• musician
• wave
• thumbs up
• peleton (any group of riders)
• paceline
• cheering
• car, cars, truck
• sign
• sag
• bicycle, bicycles, bike stand, recumbent, tandem
• flag

Type of Image:

• special (background shots, art shots, etc.)
• group
• portrait
• head shot
• panorama
• funny
• show-off (riding with no hands, etc.)

Try the the advanced image search page with any combination of these keywords. If you have any trouble, just contact me and let me know how I can improve things or help you out.

Wow. What a day. Not only do we have some great images of everybody, but the efforts and smiles to help the kids; bigger, better and brighter every year. You guys rock.

We were very lucky this year to have Anne-Marie Webber join us. We’ve got your images posted here.  Click here to see the gallery collection. I’ve just returned from Colorado where I was working with some cancer survivors at First Descents, some of whom are former Hole in the Wall Campers. Cool. Love the connections.

If you order any prints before I head out on Oct 1st, 2011 I’ll make sure to put your order in as priority, otherwise you’ll have to wait until I get back in November. I’m headed off to help two developing Hole in the Wall Camps in Africa and to check on the kids in the Climb for a Child program that I founded. I founded this project because of all of the great people I meet doing events like the Challenge Ride for the Hole in the Wall.I proud to announce that several riders and volunteers for the Hole in the Wall will be joining me in February to help the kids.

Please make sure to share these images. There are share links right on the image pages for facebook, twitter, etc. Use them to help the Camp out. It’s all I ever ask for thanks or payment. As always, 100% of my efforts are voluntary. If you do post any images on a blog, be sure to send me the link so I can check it out. If possible add a link back to this site, the more traffic we generate the better chance we have of helping an additional child.

Thanks so much for smiling for us. We always have a blast at the Camp. It just recharges my batteries.

Keep the smiles going.

See you soon!

End of summer

Well the end of summer is almost here. Where did all the time go? It goes by quickly when you’re traveling to India, Haiti, Africa, Colorado, North Carolina to photograph and work on raising awareness for in-need children around the world. What’s really cool about all the travel is meeting new people and letting the fates pull you along. It’s like steering a ship in the current. You steer to where you want to go, but you can’t ignore the currents.

Anne-Marie Weber is out from sunny California to visit us the the currently rain drenched, hurricane rattled east. She and I are working out the trip details for the up-coming cultural immersion trip to Southern Africa to help some developing Hole in the Wall Camps. While working on the details we needed a break from all the logistics and so Amy, Anne-Marie and I headed to Hampton beach. Hampton Beach is always great for textural and fun shots. While there a young couple came up to me and asked to have their portrait done. I guess they noticed my 70-200mm lens. They like playing skeeball at Funarama so we put together a quick little portrait session. I told them what I do, and the next thing you know Climb for  a Child has another supporter. See what I mean about one-thing leads to another and then next thing you know is that you’ve figured out to help a child someplace. Amy, Anne-Marie and I will be at the Hole in the Wall this Saturday to cover the Challange Ride. Hope you steer yourself along on over. Enjoy some of the day’s images.

"Khosto" - Peace - typical greeting from the Basotho People

Come join us on an inaugural epic motorcycle adventure as we circumnavigate the island country of Lesotho while raising funds to help support developing the Hole in the Wall Camps Just Footprints and Camp ‘Mamohato in Southern Africa.

This will be the first motorcycle exploratory trip into the area for the purposes of helping the children that we know of. Our goal is to ride the circumference of Lesotho, exploring the routes and learning the terrain. We are working on arranging support vehicles. Since this will be the first trip of it’s kind, we have little idea of what to expect in the way of roads and accommodations. Hopefully we’ll be able to help create an annual event for the kids. Come be a part of starting something new to help children.

A little background

Lesotho is just one of two island nations in the world. Home to the Basotho people, who are predominately rural. Getting around mountainous areas has always been difficult, so the Basotho pony is ideal choice for local transportation. Breeding and riding these surefooted ponies is very important. In the towns and mountains, it is not unusual to meet a Basotho horseman, traditionally clad in a kobo – his cloak or blanket. The people will raise their hand in the traditional greeting “Khotso” – meaning peace.

Lesotho is must-visit mountain kingdom that is unlike any other area in Africa. Rugged mountainous terrain, remote with little infra-structure. We will be braving our way on motorcycles around the circumference of the nation raising awareness and funds to support critically ill children in Lesotho and South Africa. Please visit Just Footprints and Camp ‘Mamohato the websites organizations we’ll be supporting.

Most of the travel is expected to be on gravel roads using BMW 650GS or similar bikes. We’ll rent the bikes in South Africa, load up a support vehicle with spare parts, tires, food and fuel and head to Lesotho. Accommodations outside of the capital will be rough as there is little infra structure in the country.

If you are a hearty sole, want to explore a remote area and like the idea of doing this while helping critically ill children, contact me for details.

I will be posting more information about the trip as the logistics are ironed out.

Images from a trip to Semonkong Falls, just one of the many wonders we will explore on this adventure trip.

A mobile store in India

India is a spiritually moving place. The people approach you on the street and ask to have their photo taken. The local villagers and shop keepers in the market shared tea with me and welcomed me into their schools and homes. Take a look at just one of the day’s images to see what I mean.

I have a story behind almost every face and image in this montage. This is just a small sample of the days images. I thank the villagers from the bottom of my heart. This little piece is in honor of their hospitality and openness.

I’m working on setting up a Climb for Child like trip in India to help the children. If you are interested in helping a child through adventure travel, please contact me. Together we can make a difference in the life of a child.Namaste!

On the wings of AngelRiders

It was a blast shooting the ride again this year. I’ll be in the process of offloading, sorting, cropping and editing over the course of this next week, and will post sections of photos as soon as I can. In the meantime, enjoy the video from Saturday night. Please feel free to share it with all your friends and family.

The gallery collection for AngelRide photos can be found by clicking here. As I post new images they’ll be added to the AngelRide gallery collection. I’ll post updates to the AngelRide facebook page.

Not only will these sauces put a smile on your face, they’re putting smiles on kids by helping the Climb for Child project. These are hand crafted sauces that are a blender full of produce. I can tell you they are very good. Ask for them at Whole Foods.

Click Image to view gallery

The Team Hole in the Wall runners headed 26.2 miles east on Monday, raising north of $126,000 Paul Newman’s Hole in the Wall Camp. That’s enough to pay for an entire week of Camp for seriously ill children, not bad for a day’s effort. The tail winds at the race may have helped in setting two new world records Monday, but the true milestones are those reached by the charity runners. Thanks guys.