One of the most anticipated events of the year is finally upon us and if you are reading my latests ramblings you will of course be aware that the CLIMBERS AGAINST CANCER website has now gone live! Questions abound as many of you have asked when will we be able to see it? when can I purchase a t-shirt? How can I support this great cause? How will this help others? So hopefully in the following paragraphs I will be able to explain a few things, answer some of your questions and of course say a few things from a personal point of view.
As I lay here in bed trying to construct this article I have so many thoughts that I want to pass onto you all but I ask myself where do I begin? This piece should reflect my happiness so I am not going to labour you with stories of pain and sadness but more to share the joy that has enveloped me since this amazing project began. Cancer may have come knocking at my door expecting another easy conquest but what it didnʼt realise when it entered my space was that it was going to be met with a smile and a group of friends with an inbuilt desire to overcome, succeed and most importantly to live life!
To say my life has changed since that fateful day in Paris when CAC was born would be an understatement and despite a predicament that would floor most people I am actually floating on a cloud of euphoria and excitement. Having so many fantastic friends around the world is humbling in itself but to also meet so many amazing new friends along the way is the thing that dreams are made of and I have to say I am extremely honoured and proud to know everyone of you.
Almost like an Oscar winner I could spend all day thanking everyone one who has been a part of this fantastic journey so far and helped in so many ways but similar to the wedding invite list I would be sure to forget someone and so I am just going to say a huge THANK YOU to you all. Without you CLIMBERS AGAINST CANCER just wouldnʼt have been possible and it is because of you that we can make such a difference in the future and help so many people less fortunate than ourselves.
One thing I noticed almost straight away following my diagnosis was the reluctance to talk openly about cancer and from the very beginning I have seen a change in attitude towards me and a real desire from both children and adults to ask me questions and find out more. By purchasing a CAC t-shirt and wearing it with pride you will straight away be raising the awareness amongst your family, friends and strangers as they will ask you what these letters mean and how they can help. By explaining the ʻspectaclesʼ logo on the rear of the shirt represents a friend and everyone around the world suffering from cancer and other ailments you will be helping the cause.
I wanted the cost of each shirt to be the same around the world and to include the postage so it would be fair to everyone and the price would be the same wherever you are from and however many you would like to order. All the money made from the sale of the t-shirts will be collected in the CAC account and once we have a large enough amount the plan is to distribute the funds to cancer research facilities around the globe. By doing this everyone will feel a part of the cause and we will help so many facilities to fight against cancer and hopefully one day find a cure. No one is making any money from this and no one is being paid for their work. Quite the opposite actually as so many people are offering to help for free and as a show of support for CAC.
Once purchased I would ask every buyer to upload a profile photograph of themselves wearing the t-shirt to the CAC website so we can build a ʻfamilyʼ album of climbers, their family and friends from all corners of the globe. Any other group pictures, videos etc would also be more than appreciated as we would also like to add a real fun element to the site. By adding films from any of your other activities or sports we will be able to create quite a diverse site that will cross many boundaries and include all people.
We have included a stories section to the site so that any of you that wish to share your own cancer experiences with others then please do as again I know from my own situation that dealing with this dilemma alone can make it feel all the more difficult to cope with and by sharing your feelings it can actually lighten the heavy load.
Thank you everyone for supporting CLIMBERS AGAINST CANCER and together I have no doubt we can go a long way to help others around the world. Please feel free to message us if you have any questions. Wether they be about the effects of cancer, my own predicament, how you can help the campaign or any suggestions you may have that could improve the website and growth of CAC.
“You can’t do anything about the length of your life, but you can do something about its width and depth”
John Ellison
