PROSTATE CANCER CLIMB SET TO GET UNDERWAY

The two-week expedition will lead the 16-man, four-woman team to the “roof of Africa,” a 19,340-foot volcano on the border between Tanzania and Kenya on behalf of prostate cancer awareness. Mt. Kilimanjaro is the highest peak on the continent. 

The goal of the Prostate Cancer Climb is to raise $1 million for the Hap Weyman Memorial Prostate Cancer Fund and its ongoing programs for research and education. Prostate Cancer Research Institute is the fund administrator and the lead agency for the Prostate Cancer Climb.

“Finding a cure for prostate cancer is the ultimate goal,” said Glenn Weaver, PCRI Executive Director and member of the climbing team, “but until that dream is realized  we must continue to help educate men and their families about prostate cancer diagnosis, treatment and care.”

The Prostate Cancer Climb is a groundbreaking effort established three years ago by Dr. Terry Weyman, a Los Angeles chiropractor whose father, Hollywood television production manager Hap Weyman, died of the of the disease in 1990. The climbers began their quest by reaching the top of 22,840-foot Mt. Aconcagua, Argentina in 2001.

In order to make the journey to Mt. Kilimanjaro, each climber is required to raise at least $2,000. By supporting the climbers and the Hap Weyman Fund, all donors will be recognized on the Climb Website and will have their names acknowledged in a flag salute at the Uhuru Peak summit.

The climbers hail from South Africa, Ireland, Canada and the United States.

At 75, Art Shafer is the oldest member of the Kilimanjaro team—and also a prostate cancer survivor. A combination of hormone therapy and radiation treatments have kept his disease in check, but Art worries that the high “Kili” summit might be out of his reach. The tough Texan is still determined to try.

“I am convinced that only the wings of an angel will put me on the summit, but I will give it everything I’ve got,” said Shafer, who is proof that with proper care and treatment, men who have been diagnosed can still lead happy and productive lives.

“I definitely believe I owe my life to the research that has been done in the past,” he said.

Robert Pugh, a survivor from Massachusettes, is looking forward to the camaraderie of the climb. “The appeal of the climb is the fellowship with a group of men who have also faced prostate cancer,” he said.

Pugh’s brother is a prostate cancer survivor and his father-in-law died from the disease. “This is especially personal to me because now my son Bill faces an exceptionally high risk group,” he said.

With an estimated 31,000 deaths in 2002, prostate cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death in men. This year, more than 220,000 new cases are expected to be diagnosed.

The exciting events surrounding the Aconcagua climb and the details concerning the Kilimanjaro expedition can be viewed by visiting the Prostate Cancer Climb Website, www.prostatecancerclimb.com

  Altitude pre-
   acclimatization

   Ascenders

   Atlas snowshoes

   Black Diamond

   Botas

   Brunton

   Carabiners

   CaVa Climbing Shoes
   Clearance

   Clif Bar

   CMI

   Crampons

   Edelweiss ropes
   Eureka Tents

   Featured

   FoxRiver

   Garmin

   Granite Gear

   Harnesses
   Headlamps
   Helmets

   HighGear
   Ice Axes

   Kavu Eyewear

   Katadyn

   Kong

   Lekisport

   Lowepro

   Motorola

   Nalgene

   New England Ropes

   Nikwax

   Omega

   Outdoor Designs

   Pelican

   PowerBar

   Princeton Tec

   Prescription Glacier

   Glasses

   Primus

   Rope Bags

   Seattle Sports

   Serius
   Sleeping Bags

   Stubai

   Suunto

   Tents

   Trekking Poles
   Ushba
   and more here