Day #51

Location: Basecamp
Altitude: 5364m
Local Time: 9:30pm / May 17
Weather: Cool (40's) sunny/windy

I will be posting the Summit Scholarship Update daily for the rest of this week as I realize that not everyone reads the blog daily and I want everyone to know how easy it has now become to donate to this scholarship!

If you are familiar with the details, please jump ahead to my daily message!

Summit Scholarship Update

Following is an update from Liesl:

The USC website for the climb
is now online at www.sc.edu/everest. The University of South Carolina team has created a comprehensive site
which includes many video clips about
your trek and your goal, links to news
coverage, great pictures, and how to make a gift.

Gifts to the cause have been coming in faster, competing with your climb, and we're now at $4,397! Recently, Palmetto Health Alliance made a generous Mount Kilimanjaro level donation. There are many other gifts mentioned even on this blog that are coming down the pike. Every gift helps us get closer to the "one dollar for every foot" goal. Let's continue to spread the word! We've been sending posters out all over the state and through the country, and are now
having more printed.

Online Giving:
https://giftsonline.sc.edu/contribute.asp
As of today, the Summit Scholarship is
available as a drop-down choice for
online giving. The new steps are more
simple:
Fill out all information as described. When you reach "Contribution
Information", enter as follows in the
drop-down categories:
1. Division/Campus: SELECT "Columbia
Nursing"
2. Category: SELECT "Scholarships"
3: Gift Designation: SELECT "Summit Scholarship Endowment Fund"

Today's excitement was the summit bids of our fellow team mates. We here at basecamp awoke early and by 6am were crowded around a walkie talkie waiting expectantly for news from the summit! Slowly the news trickled in as team mate after team mate successfully made it to the top of the world, and then safely back to high camp! All of us were filled with exhiliration as we have developed close bonds of friendship over the past 51 days! We silently prayed for their safety as the hours went by and those prayers were answered with safe summits. Rob, Bo, and Ward we are extremely proud of you! Thanks for blazing a trail to the top for us ... we follow very closely soon!

Now we look to our own daunting task of getting up the mountain and pray that the weather window will remain favorable for us as we set out to climb to the top of the world.

Hopefully will be able to confirm tomorrow our departure date as many variables still exist that can prevent us from leaving as soon as we would like to depart! Keep on the edge of your seats ... we are!

Additionally, today I received my NASCAR flag! It was flown in on a military helicopter that had landed to evacuate some climbers. According to the dates on the package it took only 9 days to get to me here at basecamp from Daytona Beach, Florida! I now have a renewed faith in the US Postal Service as they really came through with this package ... and right on time. As one blogger noted, this delivery process in itself would make a great commercial either for the US Postal Service (any US Postal Service people on the blog?) and/or for NASCAR! Thanks Liz for making this happen and I look forward to photos on top of the world with this flag to show just how far NASCAR's fan support has spread!

Your Messages:

Carol:
Hi sweetheart. Great talking to you earlier! Look forward to more frequent conversations as we prepare to head up the hill. I will plan to do a text blog and audioblog each day, and we will work out our calls!
Exciting day here as the 3 members of our team in the first wave (Rob, Bo, and Ward) all summited safely! We could not ask for anything more perfect! What a great day it was for all of us! I am sure that they are pretty knackered, and hope are resting well at this time!
Thanks for the donation to the Summit Scholarship from the SC Heart Center. It appears that Palmetto Health Richland has met your challenge and donated also!
It's Day #51 ... and the end is in sight!

I love you and miss you terribly :>)

Pat :>)

Canadian Friends:

Kevin, Cheri & family ... great to hear from you and no worries on not being online much as I figured you guys were monitoring the blog! Sounds like you were quite busy! Here all is great as we prepare for our summit bid. Our team was split due to better utilization of resources and now is our turn!
Am feeling strong and looking forward to the challenge! Hate that we had a bad connection at the farm the other night as I was looking forward to talking to all! Is there a bad connection on the farm phone as I believe I have had that problem when calling from SC in the past!
I believe it is quite expensive to call to a Sat Phone, but I am happy to call you at a pre-arranged date/time if you would like!
I have been wearing the Nortel gear everyday at basecamp and glad that they sent the hat/turtleneck ... has been part of my daily wear!
Appreciate that Almonte is behind me ... can feal the vibes! Say hi to Cheri and the kids!

Columbia Friends:

Susan ... great to hear from you! I am glad to be over the sinus infection and am feeling strong! I feel very fortunate to have so many well wishers and am blessed to have so many good friends! Look forward to our get together on my return! Thanks as always for the best wishes!

Ashlyn ... thanks so much for your message and I look forward to the opportunity to talk to your school about my adventure on Mt. Everest! Check with your teacher and if she says it's okay, let me know and we can arrange some dates. I am glad that your Mom told you about my climb. Please say hi to her for me and I look forward to hearing from you.

Palmetto Health Friends:

Tim ... have not heard anything from you regarding the potential sponsorship from your company (Tunguska). Send me a blog message today regarding status!

USC Friends:

Liesl ... thanks once again for all your help. Hope you can update the status of donations over next few weeks as I finish the climb!

All The Others:

David (aka Demento) ... am feeling great and the summit bid could not happen at a better time! Weather looks good, and with all support systems in place we stand to do well! Keep tuned in.
**Contact my brother Danny through his email and send me your home and cell numbers/email so I can get in touch with you ASAP! Danny will forward to me the numbers and your email also so I can contact you!

MC ... looking forward to that last trip through the icefall! It has been so great to have so much support for this climb and I can't begin to thank everyone for their prayers and best wishes! Thanks for noting my foundation ... Carol. I could not have done any of this without her undying support!
It has been my pleasure to dialogue with so many people and am hopeful that the majority are more aware of the looming nursing shortage ... and a wonderful opportunity to make a difference! Thanks as always for your support ... and never say "my big mountain is just Kilimanjaro" as it is a formidable challenge!

Ward's Mom ... hope to see Ward in the next few days and will relay your best wishes! We are proud of him!

Mira ... in this case it was the US Postal Service that came through with an unbelieveably quick and timely delivery! More over FedEx!

Conni ... Bo does Yoga (sounds like a sports commercial from 10-15 years ago!). Great to hear from you and thanks for your donation to the Summit Scholarship! Appreciate that your family of nurses would be more understanding of my cause, and your own experience with nurses years ago reinforces the fact that we need more qualified, competent nurses to help more people win their battles!
I will see Bo in a few days and will relate your best wishes and thanks for those extended to the entire team also!

Shanda ... thanks for the vote of confidence regarding me being the poster boy for those over 50! You would not want a picture of me for a pinup right now as there would be way too many ribs showing! I promised my wife I would come home intact, and alive ... so fingers and toes will be counted upon arrival!
Many thanks for the wishes of good luck!

Herwin ...not long to go now, we are just waiting in BC. Our first team did really well and everyone is now back in C4. more news soon.....

Penny ...don't bite your nails too soon, few more days to go, thanks for the thoughts...mike

Bob & Jess ... Every great journey starts with one small step but now its time to take some pretty big steps..... I'll let you know what date we are planning to depart soon...mike