You know how you used to think you'd do things when you grew up like be in the
Olympics or climb Mt. Everest? Well, some of us really were serious about those
sorts of dreams. Enter Alison Levine.
Alison, a Fuqua grad, is one of the top mountain climbers in the world,
and she is looking for support to climb Mt. Everest this spring. She is
also taking the opportunity to raise money for Duke Children's Hospital and the
Jimmy V Foundation. If you ever had a dream like this, whether yours came
true or not, please consider supporting her in her conquest of the world's
greatest mountain.
Hi
For those of you who do not know me, my name is Alison Levine (Fuqua class
of 2000) and I am both an avid Duke fan and an outdoor enthusiast. I have
recently been invited to join the first American Women's Everest Expedition
along with three other female climbers. During the past 4 years, my
mountain climbing exploits have taken me to the highest peak on six of the
seven continents -- Everest will be #7. Because climbing as a member of the
first American Women's team is a unique opportunity, my employer has granted
me permission to take an unpaid leave of absence this spring. If all goes
as planned, I will leave March 20th for the south side of Everest. I am
really excited about the opportunity to climb this bad boy and bag peak #7
if the weather and the mountain (and my body) cooperate, but I also need
some help with a big part of the trip -- and I am now turning to fellow Duke
fans for some assistance.
I decided that if I am going to climb Everest and participate in a 2-month
suffer-fest (for lack of a better description), I want to make sure there is
some kind of long-lasting result that comes from these efforts. So, I am
climbing Everest in the spring in order to raise money to fund a cancer
research grant for Duke Children's Hospital through the V Foundation (cancer
research foundation founded by ESPN and Jim Valvano before he died). This
is my way to say thank you to Duke and to help those with cancer at the same
time. I loved Jimmy V -- he was an incredibly inspirational and motivational
coach. His mantra was "Don't Ever Give Up," which he echoed until his death
in '93. I say those words to myself all the time when I am climbing --
although I usually add the caveat "unless you get frostbite or pulmonary
edema." :-)
Regardless of all the craziness going on in the world right now, people are
still getting cancer, we still need to fund more medical research, and heck,
that big hill still needs an American flag and a Duke banner to fly from the
top (this season more than ever). I am hoping you might be willing to make a
tax deductible donation to the Climb High Foundation in order to help me
make this happen. If you can't swing a donation right now, perhaps you
could help by forwarding this message on to a few of your friends who might
be interested in helping to support this cause (Duke fans, college hoops
fans, Jimmy V fans, people interested in cancer research, people interested
in women's initiatives, Everest buffs, people who need tax deductions,
ANYONE...). Anything helps -- donating, spreading the word, or even just
lending some good solid moral support! The fundraising goal is $165,000. I
realize this is a large amount -- but Everest is a large mountain, so what
choice do I have but to go for it?!? We are hoping to have donations
collected by the end of the year (or shortly thereafter).
Checks should be made out to the Climb High Foundation (100% tax deductible)
and mailed to:
Alison Levine
1538 Filbert St. #4
San Francisco, CA 94123M
Thanks for the help. GO DUKE!!!!!!
Sincerely,
Alison Levine