Climbing for a Cause
Local cousins to scale Kilimanjaro for Breast Cancer research;)
Mount Kilimanjaro, Tanzania
By Chad Kushins
March 15, 2012
It is an obstacle that would both terrify and invigorate the best of us – scaling Mount Kilimanjaro, the symbolic and literal global precipice that has sparked the imaginations and physical limits of adventurers for decades.
Ernest Hemingway crafted his most telling and renowned short story around its spiritual and staggering grandeur and, after thirty years of failed attempts, its summit wouldn’t finally be reached by man until 1889. At over 19,000 feet above sea-level, it is the highest peak in Africa.
And this July, Long Island cousins Jason and Brian Maloney will climb it for a cause, raising money and awareness for breast cancer research.
“My mother-law-had breast cancer and recovered,” Nesconset native Jason Maloney, 36, told Smithtown Matters. “It’s a cause that I was close to and a great charity to work with.” Maloney, who works at a party tent rental company in Hauppauge, first teamed up with the driving force for the endeavor, the Seattle-based Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in 2008. That year, Maloney scaled Washington’s Mount Rainier – at 14,411 feet, one of the highest peaks in the United States – and raised $5,000 for the cause. This year, he and cousin Brian are looking to top that goal, aiming to raise a minimum of $20,000 between the both of them.
Team Maloney“This climb will be my first one,” said Brian Maloney, 35, a Health Teacher in the Levittown School District. “Jay and I have always been very close and climbing was always an interest to both of us. We always wanted to do something like this together and the charity, breast cancer research, is a very important topic – especially here on Long Island where the number of those affected is so high.” Additionally, Jason and Brian’s uncle, Robert Maloney, is currently battling his own cancer – another factor in the cousins’ passion for the cause.
According to Brian, he was initially approached by Jason with the ambitious undertaking, yet quickly agreed to work the Kilimanjaro climb as a team. In preparation for the eight-day high, which will lead the two to the highest summit of the mountain, both cousins have taken on a daily regimen of exercise and endurance training. “We work out separately and together,” said Brian. “There’s been a lot of running and jogging between us, and a lot of cardio work. Jay spends a lot of time running for local charity events and that’s certainly gotten him into shape for this.”
“We train daily,” Jason concurred, adding that between him and Brian, the two were able to shape their training style to fit both. Over the past year, Jason has participated in numerous runs for various charities and organizations, including The Tough Mothers and The Warrior Dash – one of the longest and strenuous such obstacle runs in the country. As the cousins continue to physically prepare for the climb, they are also continuing to seek out donations for the trip, as all expenses for the charity are out-of-pocket – an additional challenge to their adventurous gesture for the cancer research center.
According to organizers, The Fred Hutchinson Center for Cancer research has been hosting and utilizing various incarnations of the “Climb to Fight Breast Cancer” for well over a decade, making the Maloney cousins’ endeavor part of its 15th annual yearly event. While Jason and Brian are registered to climb the Africa summit from July 21st through August 4th, other related cancer research “peaks” include Mount Adams and Mount Baker in Washington, Mount Elbrus in Russia, and Mount Hood in Oregon. However, at nearly 20,000 feet, Kilimanjaro remains the greatest challenge. Professional guides from Alpine Ascents International will be leading all “Climb to Fight Breast Cancer” expeditions.
Each climb will have a limited number of team members – generally nine or 10 – as established by the guide services. Participants commit to fundraising minimums of $3,000 to $12,500, depending on the mountain. For their first climb as a team, Jason and Brian Maloney combined their goals to aim for the ambitious $20,000.
“We’ve always been types to challenge ourselves,” said Brian. “This is going to be a life experience that neither of us will ever forget.”
To make a donation or for further information on both Jason and Brian, visit getinvolved.fhcrc.org/goto/Maloney The Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center’s official “Climb to Fight Breast Cancer” website, www.fhcrc.org/climb.