Beacher climbs Kilimanjaro to raise funds and awareness about colorectal cancer
Climbing Tanzania’s Mount Kilimanjaro was the biggest challenge 54-year-old Beach resident John Helfrich has ever faced.”I was actually pretty convinced that I wouldn’t do it. It was the worst possible weather you could have encountered for the season,” said Helfrich, who reached the summit of Africa’s highest peak on Jan. 18.
“It’s the hardest thing I’ve ever done.”
But Helfrich’s recent climb wasn’t just to meet a personal goal; it was done to raise awareness and funds for those facing an even bigger challenge – colorectal cancer.
As the second leading cause of cancer deaths in Canada, colorectal cancer surpasses both breast and prostrate cancer in mortality and is second only to lung cancer in deaths.
Helfrich’s 95-year-old mother beat the disease 15 years ago when she was 80 years old. His good friend Leo died of colorectal cancer before the age of 50.
“(Colorectal cancer) is happening way too often. It’s something children should be talking to their parents about,” said Helfrich, a local real estate broker.
“The solution is as simple as people talking about it and getting early screening, and awareness.”
Despite his amazing feat, Helfrich said that he’s still got another goal to accomplish: raising $19,336, $1 for each foot above sea level climbed for the Colorectal Cancer Association of Canada, a non-profit organization that works to increase awareness and educate Canadians about the disease. The association also supports patients and their families as well as advocates for a national screening policy and timely access to treatment and diagnostics.
“It’s unfinished business. Once I complete it I’ll consider this a huge success,” said Helfrich, explaining the campaign started when he sent an e-mail to a few hundred of his contacts.
“Hopefully other people will pick up the torch. I’m urging people to continue supporting the cause by donating.”
To date more than $10,000 has been collected.
“One of the greatest things is how the community is coming together. People who don’t even know (John) are donating,” said Barry Stein, the association’s president. “It’s really a story of how one man can make a difference.”
Stein said that he couldn’t be more thrilled with Helfrich’s accomplishment and most of all the reasons for it.
“Not your average person would do this. John undertook a great challenge with minimal help and minimal training for a great cause,” said Stein, noting that his grassroots organization is planning a thank you reception for Helfrich in March, which is also Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month.
Helfrich left for his 11-day trip to the world’s tallest freestanding mountain on Jan. 10. His trek up Mount Kilimanjaro began on Jan. 13. While on the trip up the mountain, he said that he had the opportunity to travel through rainforests with vines, waterfalls and dense vegetation.
“It was like a Tarzan movie,” he chuckled.
The terrain then became Savannah-like, he recounted.
“You could picture lions chasing antelope.”
After the second day, the level of oxygen in the air started to decline and that was when the real challenges began, but he persevered thanks to a motivational MP3 clip his family had prepared for him.
After six days, Helfrich reached the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro where he planted a special flag on behalf of the association.
To donate, visit www.colorectal-cancer.ca and follow the link to the donations page or call 416-920-4333 or 1-877-50-COLON.
