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Peter Cooley card/fund?


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Having followed the tragic drama of Peter and Scott on Rainier to its unfortunate conclusion, I feel like I want to show my support somehow in a form more tangible than lamenting the climbers' fates in cyberspace.

 

From what I have read in the thread discussing the rescue as it unfolded, I got the sense that there were people on this board who also felt the immediacy of what happened, and were disturbed by the idea that the fallen climber on the mountain could have been them. Lots of us have been on Rainier, some have spent a considerable amount of time up there, and many have thought about the dangers the mountain poses. The circumstances of the accident make it more difficult to deal with, and some have even expressed their doubts about choosing to climb when they have important people depending on them.

 

I don't intend to speak for anyone other than myself, but I would like to express my sadness to Peter's family personally, so if anyone knows an address where I could send a card, I would appreciate it if you would share the info. Since Peter is leaving behind a family, it might be a kind gesture from the PNW climbing community if we could organize some sort of collective donation. I wouldn't presume to know how to organize that, but there is a diversity of talent among the members of this board, and if there was enough popular support for the idea we could make it happen. Perhaps it would be in poor taste, perhaps discussion would get mired in the details, I just don't know what the response will be, but if I had just lost a family member to a climbing accident it would mean something to me to see how total strangers who shared a common bond with the deceased band together and make a collective statement of support. Even if a few of us get together at a bar and sign a card it would show that we cared. Unfortunately there are enough climbing accidents in the Cascades to keep a committee busy sending out cards, but hey, whether it is an out-of-state tourist or a homegrown hardman, they all deserve support in some form. Any other thoughts on this?

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Good call Fro man thumbs_up.gif It's the shits to sit here on my couch watching this all go down in a place i know well, and so close to home, and not be able to do a thing to help. It would be nice to do something, anything, to feel less ineffectual.

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Probably a fund to help the family out right now with impending expenses, or the start (even a few $$) of a college fund for his kids would be better received... I'll donate for that.

 

I will bring a card to PC and figure out where to send it.

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Let the family/friends set it up and let us know where to donate to. 3 little kids and all.... Man... that just sucks...

 

Kinda scary when we think of our own close calls on Rainier that only ended differently because of luck. I still remember the sound of the microwave oven sized block that almost got me years ago on the DC.......

 

We're also bound to start climbing LR this Sunday...

 

-Fear

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That is such a great idea all and I am sure Peter's family would greatly appreciate the gesture. I know some of Peter's friends out East and can ask around if anyone has started a fund. I can also get the address to send the card to them.

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I had a long talk with my wife last night, as I am planning that route this weekend. I can't imagine leaving her behind if it were me, let alone leaving three kids. any way, I am definately there with any support that I can lend to a fellow climbers family.

 

I don't know why, but this one really hit home...

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Perhaps a printout of this and the Liberty Ridge thread could be part of the package.

Money for the kids is a good idea. The guides guild in Chamonix started a widow's fund long before there was an insurance company involved. We aren't a guild but I feel a connection that I would like to acknowledge.

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Probably a fund to help the family out right now with impending expenses, or the start (even a few $$) of a college fund for his kids would be better received... I'll donate for that.

I will bring a card to PC and figure out where to send it.

 

 

I can find out all details for sending cards/money. My sister in Maine has friends that were close to the family and she can find out for me. I grew up two towns from Cape Elizebeth and Maine isn't that big!

 

 

This has been headline news in Maine. Ironically, The Portland Press Herald is owned by the Seattle Times.

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Maybe this already got posted on another thread but I thought I'd copy some info from a post by someone on teletips about donations:

 

 

"From the local paper (http://www.pressherald.com/news/local/040519climber.shtml), 'The family asks that donations in lieu of flowers be made to the Cape Elizabeth Land Trust or the Peter Cooley Mission and Outreach Fund.' I don't know about the M&O fund, but I understand the family is involved with the local Episcopal church. I can vouch for CELT (http://www.capelandtrust.org/), which is a great local organization conserving public access to land in this town south of Portland. Mr. Cooley was a board member and was very involved in local conservation efforts both in his town and in the surrounding area."

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Cool, thanks Pete, didn't have access to my computer yesterday to post this info. Further more I just recieved this yesterday as well:

"Thought your friends out there might appreciate knowing about this.

M

 

 

 

Wednesday, May 19, 2004

IDEXX runners-5K SUNDAY to honor Peter Cooley

A message from Betsy Perry, Manager, Business Communications

The organizers of the Pond Cove 5K Challenge in Cape Elizabeth have notified us that this year's race will be in honor of Peter Cooley and they'll be using the proceeds as a donation for the Mt. Rainier rescue team that tried

to help him.

The race is set for Sunday, May 23rd, at 8:30AM, starting at the Cape Elizabeth Middle School on Scott Dyer Road.

There will be ribbons available to show that you're running in memory of Peter."

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here's the more specific info. The folks in Maine are extremely touched by our concern and say thank you! I made them aware of this thread, so I'm sure some are reading it.

 

Peter Cooley

Mission & Outreach Fund

St. Alban's Episcopal Church

885 Shore Road

Cape Elizabeth ME 04107

 

or

 

Cape Elizabeth Land Trust

299 Ocean House Road

Cape Elizabeth ME 04107

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David, thanks for sharing the contact info.

 

For everyone interested in expressing their feelings to the family, I thought we could include more CC.commers in the group card by doing this:

 

If you want to say something, send your message to me by PM before Thursday May 27. At that point I will print everyone's messages, compile them into a little booklet, and send them to the family along with a card. Does this sound reasonable?

 

If folks want to make a collective Donation from CC.com, make checks out to the fund as described in David's post, mail them to me at the address below BEFORE the end of next week, and on June 2 I will send everything along to the fund with a separate card.

 

34 West Dravus St

Seattle WA 98119

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May Peter have the guidance to complete his final climb from this journey to the next....

Thoughts and prayers to his family in thier time of need....

 

If the real goal of a climb is not to get to the top but return safely, why go at all? What makes a seemingly intelligent person willing to take a risk for goal with no practical value?

Why engage in a pursuit that can only be considered frivolous and selfish when compared against the impact of a loss of life.

There is no goal that is at the same time more real and more abstract than the top of a mountain. Maybe some of the answers lie therein.

A summit of a mountain is a clearly definable objective that can be reached only by dedication, good planning, hard work and luck. The first look at a big mountain fills you with fear: It's impossibly huge, no human belongs there.

But to control your fear, you think of the mountain as steps, and taking one at a time, you find there is no single step you cannot make. You keep moving upward until every direction leads you down and you realize, after a moments confusion, that you're at the top.

There were no impossible obstacles, the only barriers were in your mind.

Mountains are permanent and indifferent, they can't be conquered. What you conquer are your fears and you perceived limitations.

Easy challenges are no challenges, but harder ones come with bigger risks.

Dealing with those risks will call on dormant strengths in yourself that you might otherwise never have discovered.

Nothing is more empowering than taking a risk and succeeding.

We admire those who take great risks but if they fail do we call them foolish? Worse, what if they die trying? Whas it a stupid waste of life.

Saying "they died doing what they love" doesn't replace the sense of personal lost.

So why do people climb?

Because climbing reduces life to it's simplest, most basic elements: food, shelter, survival.

Humans are designed to deal with these essentials, not the trivia that fills our everyday lives.

Climbing elevates these senses to a higher degree, emotions become intense and, unexpectedly it is relaxing.

Challenging nature on its own basic terms and succeeding brings exhilaration on a grand scale.

Each of us should have his or her own mountain - a testing place in any endeavor where the goal is almost, but not quite beyond reach.

When you take a great challenge and accomplish it you discover that your abilities are more than you ever imagined, enabling you at times to accomplish the "impossible".

A life lived in this way is infinitely fulfilling.......

 

"If you have a dream, begin it.

Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it."

johann goethe

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