Ascent For Action 2027
Healing People. Preserving Planet.
Ascent For Action 2027 connects two causes that matter deeply to me: advancing medical research for devastating diseases and protecting the natural environments that sustain life. Rooted in strength, courage, and commitment, this initiative honors loved ones we have lost while turning remembrance into action.
Through a June 2027 ascent of Mount Kilimanjaro, I hope to raise awareness, support medical research, and document environmental change on one of the world's most remarkable mountains.
The Personal Story
The inspiration for Ascent For Action 2027 began with my late wife, Trish, who died in 2022 after living with Alzheimer's disease and type 1 diabetes. In 2026, my brother, Kevin, died from stage IV lung cancer. Their stories also brought me back to my sister, Linda, who died from cystic fibrosis in 1973 at just seven years old.
Each of them faced challenges that demanded strength, courage, and perseverance. Their lives—and the love, challenges, and memories they left behind—are the reason behind this climb.
Ascending Mount Kilimanjaro is my way of honoring Linda, Trish, and Kevin, and turning their memories into purposeful action. The physical demands of the mountain offer a fitting expression of the determination required to confront serious disease and protect a changing natural world.
Their Strength. Our Ascent.
The Scientific & Environmental Mission
My perspective on this mission is shaped by a 40-year career in geology and a lifelong interest in the natural world. That background has taught me to look closely at the processes that shape our planet, the evidence preserved in the landscape, and the importance of understanding environmental change.
Mount Kilimanjaro provides a remarkable setting for this work. Its glaciers, volcanic features, and distinct ecological zones make the mountain a compelling place to observe the relationship between geology, climate, and the environment.
As part of Ascent For Action 2027, I plan to combine photographic observations with a review of historical photographs, expedition accounts, and other archival materials, subject to access arrangements. The goal is to explore how the mountain's landscape and ecosystems have changed over time, with particular interest in summit glacier retreat and environmental changes at different elevations.
The environmental mission has two complementary aims:
Document Environmental Change
Photograph and examine Kilimanjaro's present-day landscape, including its summit glaciers and high-altitude environments. Where suitable historical records are available, compare them with current observations to help communicate visible changes over time.
Support Ecosystem Preservation
Promote awareness of the importance of protecting Kilimanjaro's fragile ecosystems, including its forests and habitats on the mountain's lower slopes. The campaign also seeks to encourage support for appropriate local reforestation and habitat-restoration initiatives.
This effort is intended to contribute to public understanding and environmental awareness. It is not a substitute for formal scientific monitoring, but an opportunity to connect personal observation, historical records, and a broader commitment to preserving our planet.
Where Your Donation Goes
Ascent For Action 2027 supports two distinct areas of giving: medical research and environmental preservation. You can choose the cause you wish to support.
Medical Research
The campaign's medical fundraising is conducted through the CU Anschutz crowdfunding page, where donors can select the research area they wish to support. The campaign honors Linda, Trish, and Kevin by bringing attention to cystic fibrosis, type 1 diabetes, Alzheimer's disease, and cancer.
You may also support the relevant national disease organizations through their designated donation channels.
Environmental Preservation
Environmental giving is separate from medical fundraising. The campaign seeks to support appropriate local reforestation and habitat-restoration initiatives associated with Mount Kilimanjaro and its surrounding ecosystems.
Please use the designated donation options for the cause you choose. Medical and environmental contributions are handled separately, so your support can reflect the mission that matters most to you.
Key Partnerships & Research Outreach
Ascent For Action 2027 is developing relationships and outreach efforts to help document the mountain's history, communicate observations, and share the broader purpose of the campaign.
CU Anschutz
The campaign's crowdfunding page provides a way for donors to support medical research and select the research area they wish to fund.
Kilimanjaro Mountain Club
A planned review of historical photographs, expedition logs, and archival materials will help inform the project's examination of environmental change on Kilimanjaro. The necessary access and collaboration arrangements remain to be finalized.
Colorado School of Mines Alumni Association
The Colorado School of Mines Alumni Association has agreed to publish an article in its alumni magazine sharing the project and its findings. This provides an opportunity to communicate the connection between geology, environmental observation, and the campaign's wider mission.
Together, these efforts will help bring greater attention to the scientific, environmental, and human stories that make Kilimanjaro such a meaningful focus for Ascent For Action 2027.
Join the Ascent
Ascent For Action 2027 is more than a mountain climb. It is a commitment to honor Linda, Trish, and Kevin; support research that may improve lives; and encourage greater awareness of the natural environments we must protect.
Every step toward the summit carries their memory forward. Every opportunity to share what we learn can help turn remembrance into understanding and action.
Their Strength. Our Ascent.
Solid as Bedrock: Healing People, Preserving Planet.