I lived in Seattle area for 4 years and every day on my way to work I used to see Mt Rainier. I fell in love with the mountain the very first day I laid my eyes on it. My wife and I joke that next to our house we have spent the most amount of time on Mt Rainier. I climbed Mt. Rainier in 2007 and have always yearned to go back. Since we are now living in San Francisco, much closer to the mountain, I knew I had to climb this year.
I am volunteering with the Climb for Asha program in 2016. This is an annual charity climb for Mt. Rainier. Our goal is to raise funds for programs supported by the Seattle Chapter of Asha for Education. I have done the STP (Seattle to Portland) bike ride with Asha before. Doing something that I am passionate about while raising money for a social cause seemed like a great combination!
Asha is a secular, non-profit, and an all-volunteer driven organization working towards socio-economic change in India. Their main focus is to empower the marginalized communities through education primarily for women and children. Here's a short video and presentation about one such project, GRAVIS, which works to improve the lives of villagers in the Thar Desert of Western Rajasthan: Team Asha – Gravis Video
– Here is a small excerpt about harsh mining conditions in the Rajasthan area also showing a little bit of the work done by GRAVIS in supporting healthcare for them:
100% of the donations to Asha go directly to funding projects in India. Asha volunteers pick up the administrative cost and act as stewards for projects which Asha supports. Volunteers make site visits to the rural communities in India to learn about the impact the project is having in the local community.
I have pledged to raise $1500 to support this good cause. Kindly support my climb and help me raise money for a good cause.