Climb 4 Captives

This Fourth of July, a group of friends and I are celebrating Independence Day a little differently.  Early on the morning of July 4th, six of us will set out for the summit of the 14,410 foot (4,392 m) Mount Rainier in an effort to raise both awareness and funds to fight human trafficking worldwide.  We’re calling it the Climb for Captives, and our goal is to raise a dollar for every vertical foot of the mountain we climb… that’s $14,410– and with the support of friends and family partnering with us in this initiative, we believe that it’s an attainable goal.

Although the notion of slavery in the modern world is largely condemned, human trafficking continues to persist both internationally and domestically, and the numbers are alarming. Even in Seattle, in the shadow of Mt. Rainier, children are found every year who are bound in slavery, exploited for labor or sex.  The International Justice Mission recently reported the following:

• The total market value of illicit human trafficking is estimated to be in excess of $32 billion (U.N.)
• Each year, more than 2 million children are exploited in the global commercial sex trade (UNICEF)
• 27 million men, women, and children are held as slaves. (Kevin Bales, Disposable People)

This is where we come in. The $14,410 that we intend to raise can accomplish incredible things. Here are a few examples of how our support can reach the victims of human trafficking:

$14,410 can…
* Rescue 40 children out of overseas brothels during working hours and pay their night care for an entire year.
* Cover all expenses for 20 rescued victims in a Recovery Home for a year.
* Cover all expenses for 13 rescued victims with HIV/AIDS for a year.
* Cover all expenses of nearly two recovery homes for a year.

Here’s how you can help us reach our goal:

1) Flat Donation: make a contribution for a specified amount, no matter how far up the mountain we get. No amount is too small even if all you can give is $5, it will help to make a difference.

2) Sponsor per foot: make a donation based on how high we get on the mountain (ie: a sponsorship of 5 cents per foot with a starting altitude of 5,000 ft would be $470 if we summit, or $340 if we only make it to 12,000 feet)

3) Sponsor per Summit: On a mountain like Rainier there are NO guarantees of summitting. With factors like weather, altitude, and crevasses causing more than 50% of all climbing parties to turn back before the summit, we can’t promise that we will reach the top. With this method of sponsorship you donate a specific amount for every climber that reaches the summit. If that amount is 100 dollars and three of us make it to the top, it’s $300.

4) Corporate Sponsorship
Option A – Mountain Sponsor: For $1,000 we will take a picture on the mountain with a banner that says “(your company name here) is fighting human trafficking. Climb for Captives 2008″.
Option B – Summit Sponsor: For $2,000 we will take a picture on the summit of Mt. Rainier with your banner. If we do not summit, your option B will automatically become an option A.

All donations are tax deductible and 100% of the money received will be donated to the Home Foundation, a non-profit charitable foundation dedicated to the eradication of human trafficking both domestically and abroad. The Home Foundation was created in 2005 by award winning singer/songwriter Natalie Grant, who labors around the world to bring freedom to the captives of human trafficking.  Visit them at www.thehomefoundation.net for more information.

If you would like to contribute online you can do so at www.climbforcaptives.com.  If you would like to send us a check, please make checks payable to The Home Foundation and mail them to:

Climb for Captives
PO BOX 1622
Woodinville, WA 98072

Thank you for joining us on this adventure and feel free to spread the word; what better way to celebrate Independence Day than to bring hope and freedom to those enslaved. If you have any questions please email us at summit@climbforcaptives.com or check us out online at www.climbforcaptives.com.