Two brave and generous rock climbers who have a heart for K-12 students in our community are hosting a fundraiser unlike any The Foundation @ FCOE has ever experienced. Their names are Les Phillips and Drew Brodhead and they are setting out to climb the longest route on El Capitan in Yosemite Valley in an effort to raise money for The Foundation.
Their planned route is known as the Salathe Wall; it is 3000 feet high and will likely take Les and Drew four or five days to climb. That will mean sleeping on the wall for several nights. The climb is very committing and treacherous, especially the Salathe Headwall near the top of the route. It is the most exposed and daunting section of the climb, located at 2700 feet above the ground. This 150 foot section of steep granite is tilted five degrees beyond the vertical with only a discontinuous system of flared, finger-sized cracks to use for upward progress.
If you like adventure and suspense, you are going to want to follow the progress of our climbers. Les and Drew will periodically post updates regarding their preparation for the climb, as well as details from the actual climb, which is planned to begin on May 20, 2012.
If you would like to support the hard-working students in Fresno County schools while following Les and Drew’s incredible adventure, you can show your support by donating to the Foundation. Your donations will go to fund a program known as Innovation Grants. Because most teachers are incredibly resourceful, it doesn’t usually take a lot of money to implement their ideas. When a teacher has a great idea, he/she may apply for an Innovation Grant (usually worth $1000). A highly experienced panel at FCOE reviews all the grant proposals and awards funding to the teachers with the best ideas. In turn, these teachers use the grant funding to implement their wonderful ideas and in the end, students greatly benefit from their teacher’s efforts.
The Foundation is grateful for the dedication Les and Drew have shown to the students of Fresno County!
