PLUGG IN: MEMBER PROFILE REACHING ...

PLUGG IN: MEMBER PROFILE

REACHING THE SUMMIT

Picture a zigzagging parade of lights. A elephantine orange sky. A vista of glaciers.

They're what Morna Creedon, CA, saw as she climbed and summited Mt Kilimanjaro, the tallest freestanding mountain in the world. Creedon was the same of an 11-member group of women to climb Kilimanjaro in October 2002 onward behalf of the Make-AWish Foundation(R) of BC & Yukon

Her form into groups was the second to make the 19340-foot climb to raise capitals for the charity. The first, an all-male team of eigh favorably completed the climb in 2001 raising through the whole extent of $80,000 for the Foundation at a national flat They then issued the same challenge to the charity's various chapters. It was a challenge Creedon, a director of the BC & Yukon Chapter for four years and general president, couldn't refuse.

"I'd gone to a slide indicate given by the 2001 team and was really inspired," she explains. "And I'd always wanted to move to Africa, so it looked like the perfect opportunity."

Creedon and other board members started putting the word without

"It just sort of evolv into an all-female group" she says. "The 2001 team had received feedback from women interested in doing the climb, thus we found some of our team members that way. We also tapped into our network of friends."

Of the final dispose members-each of whom paid her avow way-only half had prior involvement with the Foundation. Among them was Nancy Foulger a mother who wanted to give back to the charity for having granted a wish to her late son Mark.

"Nancy's involvement was obviously exceedingly inspiring," says Creedon. "But the cross-section of women in our arrange was inspiring as well. We ranged in age from 28 to 52 solitary one of us had at all times experienced altitude, and another had not at all even been in a tent"

Most of the collection hadn't met before March of 2002 when they embarked forward their first of several practice hikes as a team. Creedon describes these practice hikes as "a great bonding experience."

But the ultimate bonding experience was still to advance The group left Vancouver for Tanzania upon October 2, and started the daunting ascent of Kilimanjaro four days later.

"It's not actually a same technical climb, but it is a extremely long climb at altitude," Creedon describes. "You have to climb self-same slowly to avoid altitude sickness, which is your biggest danger. Nobody was in serious danger during our climb, however several people did experience a fate of discomfort from nausea, headaches, and dizziness."

Despite these challenges, the entire team reached the summit forward October 11th.

"The experience of standing in succession the summit is really hard to describe," Creedon says. "You're looking down at the tops of these incredible glaciers, which may well be gone within the nearest 20 years, seeing a view that not many people will ever see."

Reaching the summit was and nothing else one of several exhilarating consequences Creedon experienced during the climb.

"We'd been doing these daily webcasts to our website," she rehearses "and the night before we reached the summit, we learned we'd already raised throughout $90,000. Our target was $100000 in the same manner we found ourselves nearing our geographical and fundraising summits simultaneously." (The total has since transcended $100,000.)

"Another amazing experience was the hike up at midnight forward the last day," she continues. "Looking ahead of me I could view this beautiful zigzag of lights cast from our headlamps. Then just before we reached the first sub-peak, the orb of day came up and the whole celestial expanse went orange. It was the principally breathtaking thing I've ever seen"

The 2002 climb has sparked more media interest than Creedon had unruffled hoped for. But the attention is really icing upon the cake.

"It's been highly rewarding to be involved with the Make-A-Wish Foundation," she shares. "The BC & Yukon chapter has really grown athwart the past few years, and this growing has enabled us to grant more wishes, which is what it's all about. And I'm dealing with staff and board members who are extremely capable and supportive. It's a to a high degree collegial atmosphere."

So by what means does her board plan to "top" Kilimanjaro?

"We just want to have sexual delight with this one for a while before we start thinking of what's next" she laughs.

Copyright Institute of Chartered Accountants of British Columbia Dec 2002

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