Fundraising
The goal is to raise $1 million dollars. Remember all donations go directly to Alzheimer's research and none to Alan or to support the climbs. Here is how you can help today:
- Make a flat rate donation per summit, $100 for example
- Make a one time donation for all the climbs anytime.
- Host Alan for a local fund raiser where he will present the entire year of climbs with an engaging multimedia presentation.
- Join the raffle!!
Make a Pledge:
An easy and fun way to donate to Alzheimer's research is by committing a small amount for every foot Alan climbed on K2. that goes only to Alzheimer's.
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Summit |
Start |
Gain |
$0.01 |
K2, Pakistan - 28,251'/8610m
|
28,251' |
9,500' |
18,751' |
$187.51 |
You can read a brief overview of K2
Alan Arnette
Alan was born in Memphis, TN and now lives with his wife in Colorado. He took early retirement in 2007 after a 28 year career with Hewlett-Packard to oversee the care of his mom as she entered the final stages of Alzheimer's and his dad passed away about the same time. At HP, he served in various roles but mostly in General Management positions including a 5 year assignment in Europe. He started climbing late in life at age 38 with Mont Blanc as his first big peak but went on to gain skills and experience through climbing on some of the highest mountains in the world including on Everest, Cho Oyu, Broad Peak, Ama Dablam, Aconcagua, Denali and more.
Ida's Story
The Warning Signs
We started noticing my mother's memories had slipped years ago. During the 2003 Christmas holiday, we went to a hotel for their famous brunch. As usual, we all got up to visit the buffet and indulge until we could no more. I noticed my Mom walking around aimlessly. As I went over to her, she seemed startled at my approach. "What do you want to eat?" I asked her gently. "Oh, you know; the usual," was her noncommittal answer.
In spite of this warning sign, she and my dad continued their independent life for several more years, refusing to give up their independence in spite of our begging. As her memory grew worse, she mastered the technique of the elusive "throw-away" answer. My dad supported her deception either by design or by necessity.
Sitting across the table from her during breakfast, we chatted intently about Dad being in the hospital. I had to keep reminding her that he was not well and it was serious. In the midst of this serious talk, she looked at me with clarity in her eyes and simply asked, "Now, who are you again?"
In 2009 my mom continued to decline. She had trouble feeding herself and doing other daily activities. She no longer recognized or remembered anyone, and she had significant trouble forming words or creating sentences. Her mind continued to be devastated by this disease. Not only was her memory gone but almost all of her identity.
That said, I could still get her to laugh a little with a small joke and even over the phone, I could feel her smile. So she was always in there somewhere.
On August 16, 2009, she passed away.
 What Could I Do?
As a result seeing the impact of Alzheimer's on my mother, it became clear that I had to do something. So after taking early retirement, I have dedicated my life to raising money for Alzheimer's disease through my climbing.
My dream is that researchers can find a way to stop or a cure for this killer of lives and robber of precious lifetime memories.
What Can You Do?
Please make a donation today. All donations go to the Alzheimer's and none to my climbing so please act today. You can also help with fund raising today.
Campaign Supporters
Abila is the lead commercial sponsor for my K2 for Alzheimer's campaign so that 100% of your donations will go directly to your choice of the selected organizations. Please visit Abila to learn more.
Abila: Abila serves strategic leaders and managers in dynamic nonprofit organizations, associations and government agencies with comprehensive membership management SaaS and software solutions. Organizations trust Abila to simplify and streamline accounting, donor and grant management and large scale fundraising processes so they can perform their best work and focus on delivering their unique mission. For Abila, it's personal and backed by a team with more than 50 years of experience dedicated to helping organizations achieve their vision.
Expedition Support
I used professional logistics for most of my expeditions to ensure safety, success and give me time to focus on fund raising instead of logistics. K2 is supported and lead by Garrett Madison of Madison Mountaineering, a boutique mountain guide service based in Seattle, Washington.
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