We would like to share with everyone a poem by Gilles Larivee. He composed
the poem during the summit climb and as everyone arrived at Stella Point exhausted,
we noticed that our "Kili Pace Bunny" was already marching towards the summit at Uhuru peak.
At this point Gilles rallied the troups and recited the poem. It was an inspiring and touching moment and I believe, gave us all a little extra shot in the arm to make the final push to the summit.
Angelo
A Few Steps for Rogers House
A short poem
By Gilles Larivee
First
recited at Stella Point Oct 14/2012.
Kilimanjaro summit day
A Few
Steps for Rogers House
There once was a pace bunny - Mari
Who
undertook a special journey
With her brother Angelo
To climb Kilimanjaro
She allowed us to pause
To reflect on this great cause
To drink
from the same fountain
As we climbed this beautiful mountain
With
this pace bunny we shared a dream
That some day we would all scream
Hakuna Matata!
From the Roof of Africa!
Tuesday, 23 October 2012
Wednesday, 17 October 2012
October 16th Day 10
Excitement is in the air as our last day on Kili has arrived. We meet up for the per-breakfast tea between 6:30 and 7. The camp is particularly loud this morning. The Tusker Trail crew is looking forward to heading home to their families after 9 days of hard work. Every day they would packup the tents, kitchen, fruits and vegetables, portable toilets, jugs of water and zoom by us as we were hiking. By the time we would arriv at our destination, camp was setup, hot tea was there ready to warm us up.
Before departing for our 10 km hike through the rain forest, the crew gets together and begin singing songs. It's a great way to start the morning. The guides address the team and thanks us for our cooperation throughout the climb. We can't say enough about Tusker. The guides were very knowledgeable and took great care of everyone . The cooks prepared excellent meals, and the porters got all of the equipment from camp to camp.
We are off for our final hike of the trip. The trail resembles more what we would see back home in the gatineau's. The rain forest is impressive with lush greenery and massive trees. The trail is muddy and some of the steps fairly steep. We see monkey's in the trees and stop to watch them as they jump from tree to tree.
We reach the end of the trail and are greeted by individuals selling t-shirts, soap stone bowls, patches and a variety of other nick nacks. We sign the park registry and load up in the land rovers for the short drive back to the hotel.
After 9 days, a shower feels great :-) . The camping experience was a lot of fun but it is nice to arrive to a room with a bed. The group meets up for lunch where pizza seems to be the comfort food for many of us. We have a final meeting with the Tusker guides where we receive our certificates for reaching the summit of Kilimanjaro. We say our warm goodbye's to Thobia, Urio and Stanford and thank them for everything they've done for us.
Afterwards, most head out to do some shopping and stock up on water that will be needed for the upcoming safari.
Later that evening, we get together to celebrate with champagne and recount the highlights of our adventure.
It's an end to the climb... The next 3 days brings on a whole new adventure... A safari :-)
Before departing for our 10 km hike through the rain forest, the crew gets together and begin singing songs. It's a great way to start the morning. The guides address the team and thanks us for our cooperation throughout the climb. We can't say enough about Tusker. The guides were very knowledgeable and took great care of everyone . The cooks prepared excellent meals, and the porters got all of the equipment from camp to camp.
We are off for our final hike of the trip. The trail resembles more what we would see back home in the gatineau's. The rain forest is impressive with lush greenery and massive trees. The trail is muddy and some of the steps fairly steep. We see monkey's in the trees and stop to watch them as they jump from tree to tree.
We reach the end of the trail and are greeted by individuals selling t-shirts, soap stone bowls, patches and a variety of other nick nacks. We sign the park registry and load up in the land rovers for the short drive back to the hotel.
After 9 days, a shower feels great :-) . The camping experience was a lot of fun but it is nice to arrive to a room with a bed. The group meets up for lunch where pizza seems to be the comfort food for many of us. We have a final meeting with the Tusker guides where we receive our certificates for reaching the summit of Kilimanjaro. We say our warm goodbye's to Thobia, Urio and Stanford and thank them for everything they've done for us.
Afterwards, most head out to do some shopping and stock up on water that will be needed for the upcoming safari.
Later that evening, we get together to celebrate with champagne and recount the highlights of our adventure.
It's an end to the climb... The next 3 days brings on a whole new adventure... A safari :-)
Tuesday, 16 October 2012
October 15th Day 9
Gilles and I woke up at crater camp to a chilly -5 degrees celcius. I can't say that I slept much...
My oxygen level was at 68 (down from high 80's for most of the trek). A simple toss and turn in the
sleeping bag got my heart racing like I was out running the half marathon... Wake up call was at 5:30am and breakfast at 6am. The sun had just started to rise over Stella point and the camp was warming up to the rays of the sun. Never have I been happier to see the sun in the morning.
We geared up and left camp at 7:15. We hiked along the crater for a few kilometers before heading back up to Stella point. From here, it`s a 3,800 foot drop in elevation back to Barafu camp where we would meet the rest of the group. The way down is much harder than it looks. A lot of sliding down loose gravel and sand, almost like skiing but without the snow or skis.... Some of the porters are zooming by us like we were standing still. They carry their own gear plus 30 pounds of equipment on their head or on their shoulders. We made it back to Barafu in two and half hours... many of the porters can make it down in 45 minutes... these guys earn there keep.
Once the group was together, we heard about their descent last night. They descended a bit in the dark using their head lamps, navigating the difficult rocky terrain as they approached Barafu camp. After a 15+ hour day of hiking, supper was the last thing on their mind.
We set off for Mweka camp where we would spend our last night on the mountain. The terrain was mostly rocky and the weather cooperated. No need to use our rain gear today :-) We reached Millenium camp along the way and savoured a coke while we paused for a half hour or so... Mweka camp was about an hour away located at the edge of the rain forest. We signed in the park register and set off to our tents.
Supper was good usual and stories of yesterday`s summit climb were shared... It was also found out that the only jar of honey had been sent up to crater with Gilles and I... a few crepes lovers were not too happy this morning... or that the ladies portable toilet had also been sent up to crater camp... the difference between the men`s and women`s portable was that the ladies had a plastic
seat to sit their tush on... the men`s had 4 metal bars.... 4 very unimpressed women were at Barafu that night
The group has meshed well over the past 9 days. New friendships have been formed, and existing bonds strengthened.
Tomorrow is our last day on Kili... a happy sadness lies within us all
My oxygen level was at 68 (down from high 80's for most of the trek). A simple toss and turn in the
sleeping bag got my heart racing like I was out running the half marathon... Wake up call was at 5:30am and breakfast at 6am. The sun had just started to rise over Stella point and the camp was warming up to the rays of the sun. Never have I been happier to see the sun in the morning.
We geared up and left camp at 7:15. We hiked along the crater for a few kilometers before heading back up to Stella point. From here, it`s a 3,800 foot drop in elevation back to Barafu camp where we would meet the rest of the group. The way down is much harder than it looks. A lot of sliding down loose gravel and sand, almost like skiing but without the snow or skis.... Some of the porters are zooming by us like we were standing still. They carry their own gear plus 30 pounds of equipment on their head or on their shoulders. We made it back to Barafu in two and half hours... many of the porters can make it down in 45 minutes... these guys earn there keep.
Once the group was together, we heard about their descent last night. They descended a bit in the dark using their head lamps, navigating the difficult rocky terrain as they approached Barafu camp. After a 15+ hour day of hiking, supper was the last thing on their mind.
We set off for Mweka camp where we would spend our last night on the mountain. The terrain was mostly rocky and the weather cooperated. No need to use our rain gear today :-) We reached Millenium camp along the way and savoured a coke while we paused for a half hour or so... Mweka camp was about an hour away located at the edge of the rain forest. We signed in the park register and set off to our tents.
Supper was good usual and stories of yesterday`s summit climb were shared... It was also found out that the only jar of honey had been sent up to crater with Gilles and I... a few crepes lovers were not too happy this morning... or that the ladies portable toilet had also been sent up to crater camp... the difference between the men`s and women`s portable was that the ladies had a plastic
seat to sit their tush on... the men`s had 4 metal bars.... 4 very unimpressed women were at Barafu that night
The group has meshed well over the past 9 days. New friendships have been formed, and existing bonds strengthened.
Tomorrow is our last day on Kili... a happy sadness lies within us all
Monday, 15 October 2012
October 14th Day 8
After several days of rain, the weather cooperated and
gave a us a sunny day. The first group consisting of Mari and Sophie
left at 4:30am and the second group left at 6:30am. The skies were clear
and as the sun came up over Mawenzi peak, the group was getting
excited to start the summit climb. The climb to Stella Point is 3800
feet and up a very steady incline. By 10am both groups had become one
and were slowly making our way up. The ground is soft and made up of
sand and small pebbles making the climb very tiring. The high altitude
was making every step difficult and at various times, we all needed a
little bit of encouragement. We reached Stella point at 2:45pm and took a
few minutes to appreciate the task we had just accomplished and marvel
at the beauty of the different glaciers that are on the summit. We now
had a 3km hike to the Uhuru peak, the tallest peak in Africa at 19,300
feet.
We reached the summit at 4pm in a balmy 11 degrees. The sun was shining and we could not have asked for a better day. Individual photos were taken with the sign at the peak followed by the group pictures.
Gilles and I decided to stay and sleep at crater camp which is at 18,700 feet. Our camp site was a couple of hundred feet away from the nearest glaciers. The rest of the group started the 4 hour descent back to Barafu camp. The descent is a challenge as the loose sand and gravel gives way as you push forward, almost like skiing without the snow or the ski's.
Everyone will be going to bed early tonight. What a day this has been :-)
We reached the summit at 4pm in a balmy 11 degrees. The sun was shining and we could not have asked for a better day. Individual photos were taken with the sign at the peak followed by the group pictures.
Gilles and I decided to stay and sleep at crater camp which is at 18,700 feet. Our camp site was a couple of hundred feet away from the nearest glaciers. The rest of the group started the 4 hour descent back to Barafu camp. The descent is a challenge as the loose sand and gravel gives way as you push forward, almost like skiing without the snow or the ski's.
Everyone will be going to bed early tonight. What a day this has been :-)
Saturday, 13 October 2012
October 13th Day 7
The rainy weather added a level of difficulty to our
climb today. We left Keranga camp at 9am under rainy and foggy
conditions. The Barafu camp which is at 15,000 feet (an elevation
difference of 1800 feet) was our next stop before leaving for the summit
tomorrow morning. The first part of the climb was up a 600 foot incline
going up in a zig zag pattern. The fog made it impossible to catch any
of the scenery except for the things that were close to us. The terrain
was very rocky and there were many flat rocks.
About an hour before arriving at camp, snow pellets were coming down. We arrived at camp in four hours as everyone congregated into the mess tent to warm up. A lot of cold hands were warmed up by cups filled with hot water and some of the clothes hung to dry.
Once the kitchen was setup, a hot meal was prepared. Since the beginning of our trip, the food has been delicious and today was no exception. We had cucumber soup, French fries, fried chicken and beans.
Our guides came in to brief us about the summit climb tomorrow morning. The group will be split into two groups. The first leaving at 4:30am and the second group will leave at 5:30am. The two groups will be meeting up at Stella point which is at 18,800 feet. This will be the start of the rim walk towards the peak at 19,300 feet. We are told that the weather will be around -18 degrees centigrade, colder if the winds pickup. Once the summit celebrations are done, some will be sleeping at crater camp which is near the summit an others will descend back down to Barafu camp. Everyone has been given the choice to stay the night at crater camp or come back to Barafu. If the guides feel that someone is not well enough to sleep at crater camp, they will descend with the rest of the group.
We have an early supper tonight and then early to bed.
Summit day is finally here. One more sleep :-)
About an hour before arriving at camp, snow pellets were coming down. We arrived at camp in four hours as everyone congregated into the mess tent to warm up. A lot of cold hands were warmed up by cups filled with hot water and some of the clothes hung to dry.
Once the kitchen was setup, a hot meal was prepared. Since the beginning of our trip, the food has been delicious and today was no exception. We had cucumber soup, French fries, fried chicken and beans.
Our guides came in to brief us about the summit climb tomorrow morning. The group will be split into two groups. The first leaving at 4:30am and the second group will leave at 5:30am. The two groups will be meeting up at Stella point which is at 18,800 feet. This will be the start of the rim walk towards the peak at 19,300 feet. We are told that the weather will be around -18 degrees centigrade, colder if the winds pickup. Once the summit celebrations are done, some will be sleeping at crater camp which is near the summit an others will descend back down to Barafu camp. Everyone has been given the choice to stay the night at crater camp or come back to Barafu. If the guides feel that someone is not well enough to sleep at crater camp, they will descend with the rest of the group.
We have an early supper tonight and then early to bed.
Summit day is finally here. One more sleep :-)
October 12th Day 6
We
awoke to clear skies and saw a very different view than the one when we
arrived yesterday. There is an amazing valley down below and we are
atop of the clouds. The view is priceless.
After breakfast and getting our medicals done, we headed out to hike up the Barranco wall which stands 800 feet high. It's a physically demanding hike, with many high step ups and the use of our hands to help us negotiate each tricky step. Soon into the climb we came to the kissing rock. We cross along a narrow ledge facing the rock and tradition is that you kiss the rock as you go by. The rest of the hike up the rest of the wall was similarly difficult but everyone rose to the challenge.
It's impossible to describe the beauty we are seeing. Mother Nature has truly done some magical work.
Once we reached the top of the wall, we took a short break and headed down the other side of the wall making our way to the Keranga valley. It is a steep descent with an as equally steep climb up to the Keranga camp where we are staying for the night.
Kili is right behind us. It is imposing but a beauty to be marvelled at. After supper, we came out of the mess tent where we have our meals to a view of of lights from the city of Moshi.
It's a little cool tonight but we'll be bundled up in our sleeping bags.
We head out to Barafu camp tomorrow. The camp is located at 15,000 feet where we will eat and sleep for the night. We begin our final ascent of Kili at 6:30am Sunday morning and should summit around 2:30pm or 5:30am Ottawa time. Everyone is excited that the day is finally coming.
After breakfast and getting our medicals done, we headed out to hike up the Barranco wall which stands 800 feet high. It's a physically demanding hike, with many high step ups and the use of our hands to help us negotiate each tricky step. Soon into the climb we came to the kissing rock. We cross along a narrow ledge facing the rock and tradition is that you kiss the rock as you go by. The rest of the hike up the rest of the wall was similarly difficult but everyone rose to the challenge.
It's impossible to describe the beauty we are seeing. Mother Nature has truly done some magical work.
Once we reached the top of the wall, we took a short break and headed down the other side of the wall making our way to the Keranga valley. It is a steep descent with an as equally steep climb up to the Keranga camp where we are staying for the night.
Kili is right behind us. It is imposing but a beauty to be marvelled at. After supper, we came out of the mess tent where we have our meals to a view of of lights from the city of Moshi.
It's a little cool tonight but we'll be bundled up in our sleeping bags.
We head out to Barafu camp tomorrow. The camp is located at 15,000 feet where we will eat and sleep for the night. We begin our final ascent of Kili at 6:30am Sunday morning and should summit around 2:30pm or 5:30am Ottawa time. Everyone is excited that the day is finally coming.
Thursday, 11 October 2012
October 11th Day 5
Most mornings have been cold and this morning was no
exception. The puddles of water on the ground had frozen over and the
tents were covered in ice. The overnight snow had completely covered
Kili.
We are becoming proficient at predicting the weather. Mornings are cold and the skies clear. The sun rises over Kili around 7:15 and the warmth of the sun puts a smile to everyone's face. Once the hike starts, the clouds roll in, the temperature drops and the rain starts. It was quite foggy today but the things we see are still incredible. The lava rocks, the vegetation, the waterfalls and of course Kili when the fog lifts. We had lunch at Lava Tower which is at 15,000 feet. Ice pellets were coming down as we had lunch. We waited a bit for the rain to pass. Baranco camp was waiting for us. The camp is located at 13,000 feet and is part of the acclimatization process. Upon arriving we signed the visitors book and headed down to camp. As this is a camp where several routes converge, it looked like a little tent city. We had some good laughs at supper and welcomed the rain again :-(
Tomorrow's hike will be physically demanding. We will be hiking up the Baranco wall. We are all prepared to meet the challenge head on.
We are becoming proficient at predicting the weather. Mornings are cold and the skies clear. The sun rises over Kili around 7:15 and the warmth of the sun puts a smile to everyone's face. Once the hike starts, the clouds roll in, the temperature drops and the rain starts. It was quite foggy today but the things we see are still incredible. The lava rocks, the vegetation, the waterfalls and of course Kili when the fog lifts. We had lunch at Lava Tower which is at 15,000 feet. Ice pellets were coming down as we had lunch. We waited a bit for the rain to pass. Baranco camp was waiting for us. The camp is located at 13,000 feet and is part of the acclimatization process. Upon arriving we signed the visitors book and headed down to camp. As this is a camp where several routes converge, it looked like a little tent city. We had some good laughs at supper and welcomed the rain again :-(
Tomorrow's hike will be physically demanding. We will be hiking up the Baranco wall. We are all prepared to meet the challenge head on.
October 10 Day 4
We woke up to blanket of frost... The tents and ground were white as snow. The
skies were clear and we had a great view of Kili. Once the sun came out, things
started to warm up and the frost melted away.
We hiked the shira plateau which is mainly made up of lava rock. Some hills, but a lot of up and downs. When we stopped for a break, a white neck crow landed next to us and Marcel fed it some of his peanuts. He picked up a mouthful, flew away a short distance to its nest and came back for more.
The rain came about an hour before arriving to our lunch camp. As usual, the meal was good and varied.
We continued on to Moir camp where we were greeted by the porters and other tusker staff with some inspirational songs. Everyone loved them.
We had our Medicals before having supper and everyone is doing well.
As we are getting ready for bed, we can hear snow pellets hitting our tents. Let's see what tomorrow brings.
We hiked the shira plateau which is mainly made up of lava rock. Some hills, but a lot of up and downs. When we stopped for a break, a white neck crow landed next to us and Marcel fed it some of his peanuts. He picked up a mouthful, flew away a short distance to its nest and came back for more.
The rain came about an hour before arriving to our lunch camp. As usual, the meal was good and varied.
We continued on to Moir camp where we were greeted by the porters and other tusker staff with some inspirational songs. Everyone loved them.
We had our Medicals before having supper and everyone is doing well.
As we are getting ready for bed, we can hear snow pellets hitting our tents. Let's see what tomorrow brings.
October 9th Day 3
We left the big tree camp early in the morning and made our way through the last
bit of rain forest. The view was amazing and breathtaking. We continued on and
ventured into some very steep hills that seemed like they would go on forever.
Lunch was good with chicken, and fries. The view was so impressive. Seeing where
we had come from in the short time span. We could see Mount Merhu in the
distance. The mountain stands at 14,500 feet. We continued to hike making it
through some steep inclines.
We could finally see our camp for the night located on the shira plateau. We had a good spaghetti dinner and very good soup. The view of the stars was amazing with a 360 degree view. Just before sundown, the sky cleared and we got to see Kili... breathtaking!! The evening is getting cold with a high of around 0 degrees Celsius. Everyone needs to bundle up and stay warm. Tomorrow brings a new set of challenges.
We could finally see our camp for the night located on the shira plateau. We had a good spaghetti dinner and very good soup. The view of the stars was amazing with a 360 degree view. Just before sundown, the sky cleared and we got to see Kili... breathtaking!! The evening is getting cold with a high of around 0 degrees Celsius. Everyone needs to bundle up and stay warm. Tomorrow brings a new set of challenges.
October 8th Day 2
We started the long drive to the beginning of the Lemosho route. The first part
of the drive was paved. We stopped an hour into the drive to pickup the last of
the supplies. Children were coming to see us looking for any goodies we could
offer them. We then made our way along a bumpy gravel road before the road
turned into a dirt. The group stopped at the gates of the national park. This is
where everyone signs the official park register. The bags containing our extra
gear which cannot exceed more than 30 pounds is officially weighed. The porters
will carry these bags as well as there own personal packs. The process took
about an hour before we set off for the entry to the trail. The road leading to
trail, a single lane dirt road which was bouncy at best. At the back of our
vehicle was Amy, Johanna and Gilles and had arms interlocked to keep them from
bouncing from one side of the vehicle to the other.
We arrived at the start of the trail with a lot of excitement. Tusker provided us with a boxed lunch while the porters lined up with the bags they would carry. Everyone put their gators on and loaded up their day packs, which for many weighed about 25 pounds. And so the adventure began. The trail was steep but our lead guide Tobias led the way... Pole Pole (Swahili for slowly slowly). The first part of the hike is through a rain forest. The view was spectacular. The trees, flowers and eventually the sight of monkeys that resemble skunks for their black and white fur. The 3.5 hour hike was 6.5 kilometers and took us from an elevation of 7800 feet to 9180 feet, where we camped for the night at big tree camp. We arrived to a small tent city equipped with private bathroom facilities and tents to sit down and have some tea and cookies. Supper was tasty and included potato leek soup, potato salad with tuna, talapia fish and crepes with Nutella and banana. We sat around a bit and shared some stories and a few laughs before everyone headed to their tents. Some people reading, some updating their daily logs and some falling fast asleep. Wake up call tomorrow is at 6:30am with the hiking starting at 8:30.
We arrived at the start of the trail with a lot of excitement. Tusker provided us with a boxed lunch while the porters lined up with the bags they would carry. Everyone put their gators on and loaded up their day packs, which for many weighed about 25 pounds. And so the adventure began. The trail was steep but our lead guide Tobias led the way... Pole Pole (Swahili for slowly slowly). The first part of the hike is through a rain forest. The view was spectacular. The trees, flowers and eventually the sight of monkeys that resemble skunks for their black and white fur. The 3.5 hour hike was 6.5 kilometers and took us from an elevation of 7800 feet to 9180 feet, where we camped for the night at big tree camp. We arrived to a small tent city equipped with private bathroom facilities and tents to sit down and have some tea and cookies. Supper was tasty and included potato leek soup, potato salad with tuna, talapia fish and crepes with Nutella and banana. We sat around a bit and shared some stories and a few laughs before everyone headed to their tents. Some people reading, some updating their daily logs and some falling fast asleep. Wake up call tomorrow is at 6:30am with the hiking starting at 8:30.
Sunday, 7 October 2012
Day 2 - Orientation and Relaxation
After a long 24+ hours of travelling, we are all together at the Bristol Cottages resting and being
taken care of by our guides from Tusker Trail. The day started with breakfast followed by an orientation session. Our 3 guides, Tobias, Cookie and Stanford are experienced guides and comforting to know that they are medically trained, should anyone be in any need of assistance. They will be checking our oxygen levels and pulse twice daily. There is already a friendly competition of who would have the lowest pulse (Marcel won that one).
Each climbers gear was inspected to ensure that we have everything we will need. Everyone is looking good. Next came the weighing of the packs that the porters will carry. The maximum weight they carry is 30 pounds and pretty much everyone is in that range (except for Amy whose pack weighed in at 17 pounds... this girl travels light!!)
The food has been good so far having enjoyed lunch at a local eatery. So many choices... American, Indian, Chinese , Japanese, Italian... the walkabout was interesting. Several vendors lined the streets with what seemed to be an endless supply of shoes and t-shirts.
The rest of the day will be spent relaxing, going for dinner and then getting ready for our departure tomorrow morning. We been told that the drive will be just under 6 hours before reaching the gates of Kilimanjaro National Park. Once we sign the guest book, we'll be setting off for a 4 hour hike, our first day on Kili :-)
taken care of by our guides from Tusker Trail. The day started with breakfast followed by an orientation session. Our 3 guides, Tobias, Cookie and Stanford are experienced guides and comforting to know that they are medically trained, should anyone be in any need of assistance. They will be checking our oxygen levels and pulse twice daily. There is already a friendly competition of who would have the lowest pulse (Marcel won that one).
Each climbers gear was inspected to ensure that we have everything we will need. Everyone is looking good. Next came the weighing of the packs that the porters will carry. The maximum weight they carry is 30 pounds and pretty much everyone is in that range (except for Amy whose pack weighed in at 17 pounds... this girl travels light!!)
The food has been good so far having enjoyed lunch at a local eatery. So many choices... American, Indian, Chinese , Japanese, Italian... the walkabout was interesting. Several vendors lined the streets with what seemed to be an endless supply of shoes and t-shirts.
The rest of the day will be spent relaxing, going for dinner and then getting ready for our departure tomorrow morning. We been told that the drive will be just under 6 hours before reaching the gates of Kilimanjaro National Park. Once we sign the guest book, we'll be setting off for a 4 hour hike, our first day on Kili :-)
Saturday, 6 October 2012
"A night in little Italy" fundraising event
PRESS RELEASE
CONTACT:
Peter Kocoris or
Liette Jodouin
THE PROMENADE
RETIREMENT RESIDENCE AND SUITES BY ALAVIDA
613-451-1414
http://www.alavidalifestyles.com/our-communities/properties/promenade.aspx
THE PROMENADE RETIREMENT RESIDENCE BY ALAVIDA HOSTS
FUNDRAISING DINNER IN SUPPORT OF MOUNT KILIMANJARO CLIMB FOR ROGER'S HOUSE
Friday, October 26, 5:00
p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
Dear friends,
The Promenade Retirement Residence by Alavida will be
holding a fundraising dinner with all proceeds going to support the Sky High
for Roger's House Charity Climb to Mount Kilimanjaro.
Sky-High for Roger’s House is
a fundraising initiative brought forward by two former Roger’s House clients,
Angelo Garcia and Sophie Rosa. They met through the bereavement group at Roger’s
House in January 2010; Sophie had lost her youngest son, Simon, to a drowning
accident during a school outing, while Angelo lost his oldest son Misha to
brain cancer. Sophie and Angelo, both outdoors enthusiasts, quickly became
friends and remained in close contact after they left the Roger’s House
bereavement group.
Long before meeting each other, both Sophie and Angelo had planned to climb Kilimanjaro. Sophie was in training to climb when her son passed away, while Angelo and his son had planned to climb Kilimanjaro together. However, the return of Misha’s tumour kept them from fulfilling their dream.
In
his will, Misha asked his father to scatter his ashes on top of Kilimanjaro so
they may still reach the highest peak of Africa together.
Angelo Garcia,
who is leading the Sky High Kilimanjaro climb, is a longtime Alavida/Ashcroft
employee.
The
evening's event "A Night in Little
Italy" will feature a four course gourmet Italian dinner , a wine
tasting event, pasta making demonstrations and door prizes.
Please mark your calendars, your support
is appreciated and your presence adored!
Tickets are
available by calling Liette Jodouin at 613 451-1414
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