Downsizing and doing it twice

After doing the Climb for 10 years and getting a lot of fantastic support from people all over the world, we decided to retire the big community event for a year in order to make the Climb a special part of the Survivor Conference in November. It was incorporated into the program in 2009 and was a big success. We opted to make it later to celebrate those survivors who are still with us and to commemorate those we have lost.

Although it was going to happen later in the fall, Geoff still wanted to mark the anniversary of his personal achievement. On October 16, 2010, Geoff, his dad, the YACC team, Lorna and Rob Larsen from Team Shan, and one lonely pooch, Banger,  braved the wind and rain and made our way up the hill.

Talk about team building! You really get to know what people are like when you're making them walk up the city's biggest hill with ice flying into their eyes. There was more "I can't believe we doing this" than "I hate you for making me do this" so I guess we're a pretty good team after all.

A few weeks later, we made the voyage again. This time we brought the 43 cancer survivors and supporters who came to St. John's for the 2010 Survivor Conference. Not only was the Climb a symbol of achievement, one of our survivors turned it into a beautiful way to let go of some of the things we've been holding onto.

Participants were invited down a more secluded path where they were able to either throw a rock toward the ocean symbolizing getting rid of something they have been holding onto for too long or toss some sand toward the sea as a way of saying goodbye to the departed members of the community. It was simple, intimate, and just what we needed to make the Climb that much more special.

Posted on Dec 07, 2010 - 02:21 PM by Angie