TweetWow! I am now on the plane flying from Atlanta to Seattle to begin my summit attempt of Mt. Rainier.  This will be one of the most difficult things I’ve ever done, but…

I am SOOOO encouraged after what we accomplished! Together we raised over $25,000 to purchase a solar powered water purification system for Haiti.  Daily this system will produce over 3,000 gallons of ultra-purified water to a community that has really never had anything like this and desperately needs it.  Thank you for your generosity, for your tweets, for your prayers, for your well-wishes.  They each made all of the difference!

As you may know, this campaign was just practice.  Yes, it was for real, but we will kick it up several notches with our first official campaign.

I have pledged to push my body beyond its limits to climb the highest mountain on each of the seven continents of the world to motivate you to push past your limits to change 7 of the ugliest issues facing our world.  I chose to climb Mt. Rainier because it is really the number one training mountain in the United States for climbers that hope to tackle the biggest, most dangerous mountains in the world.

It won’t easy.  Unfortunately a climber already died on Rainier this year and dozens more across the years.  My ultimate goal is not just to make it to the top, but my ultimate goal is to get back safely to be with my family and to begin the fight anew with you!

Your  support has encouraged my soul deeply and I believe we are only scratching the surface of our potential.    I am not going to be able to answer or see emails, texts, tweets, etc. while I am on the mountain, but I am using a device called Spot Connect that uses satellites to help me send out status updates and tweets.  Let’s hope it works.

I love changing the world with you.

-Shaun

TweetI am so amazingly thankful to all of you that have donated to help us purchase an amazing solar powered clean water system for an entire community in Haiti.  Once installed, it will provide over 3,000 purified gallons of water per day!

So far we’ve raised $23,304 and we have just $1,696 to go!

I leave to climb Mt. Rainier in 24 hours and hope to have it all done before the climb.  Please CLICK HERE or on the donate buttons above to knock it out! BE THE CHANGE!

TweetUPDATE ::  You all did it!  You donated every A+ point that we needed. THANK YOU so much. The power of social media is so amazing. Love each of you! Still feel free to read below to see what we did!  Getting ready to leave for Seattle in 3 days!

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So. I think my wife is going to hate me for this (I’m sorry baby. I mean well).  She will particularly hate me if I do it and it doesn’t work. (Insert awkward laugh)
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I am scheduled to climb Mt. Rainier (that’s it in the pic…above the clouds) outside of Seattle on August 16th.  That’s just 20 days away.  As you may know, I have pledged to climb the highest mountain on each of the 7 continents of the world over the next 4-5  years and to raise funds and awareness for compelling causes with each climb.  It is easily the hardest, most dangerous thing I have ever pledged to do.

Mt. Rainier is seen as the best training mountain in the United States for those 7 mountains so I am climbing it to prepare myself for what’s ahead.  I am also raising $25,000 to purchase an amazing clean water system in rural Haiti.  So far we’ve raised $7,551 of that and 100% of those funds go directly to the charity and not to me.

I have paid for the actual expedition costs and I have paid for my family to fly to Seattle so we can be together before and after my climb (they picked me up @ the hospital the last time I climbed in Washington), but I need some help…..ummmmm….how do I say this….flying my family back to Atlanta.

I don’t want you to give us any money, because I’d rather you give it to the cause.  But I just signed my wife and kids up for Airtran A+ Rewards accounts.  In total, we need 37 points to cover the tickets for our return flight from Seattle to Atlanta and I am guessing that you, my friends, my dear generous friends (wink wink) have those 37 points to give!

For 8 A+ rewards points, we can purchase one coach ticket.  I have 7 points and just need 1 more.  Between the rest of my crew we need 36 points.

Shaun :: 1 A+ Credit Needed
Rai :: 7 A+ Credits Needed
Tae :: 7 A+ Credits Needed
Kendi :: 7 A+ Credits Needed
EZ :: 7 A+ Credits Needed
Savannah :: 8 + Credits Needed
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Total Needed: 37 Airtran A+ Rewards Credits

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Here is where I get sappy and tell a story that tugs at your heart.

I don’t wanna be that guy that travels everywhere, speaks everywhere, and lives a life of adventure and leaves my family behind.  We try very hard to travel together everywhere I go so that we can continue to remain the extremely close knit crew that we are.  Because of this, I make less money, but we are one big happy crew.

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Here is how you can donate the A+ rewards points:

1. Email me directly @ shaunking@gmail.com to let me know what you are going to do and wait for me to reply so I can let you know the most up to date totals we need.  I will also have to give you some the A+ rewards #’s for each family member.

2. When you get that information, go to this Airtran link and sign in to your account.

3. It will tell you the info you need to transfer the credits.  If you are an Elite member this is free.  If you are not an Elite member it has a small fee.  You will need your info and the info that I give you in step 1 above when I reply via email.

4. After you transfer the credits successfully, email me and let me know so that I can update the totals here.

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I know I’m a wacky dude, but normal sucks and I really want and need my family close by for inspiration as I climb Mt. Rainier in 20 days.
THANK YOU!!!

PS: Please share this post with everybody  you know so that we can get these points nailed before the flights get all booked up!

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My climb of Mt. Rainier is now just 30 days away.  I’m definitely not ready and the fight with bronchitis has slowed my training down to a snails pace.  I pretty badly want to reach the summit – but just about half of the climbers of Rainier do so.  Between my back injuries and this bronchitis, this is going to be a major challenge.

We’re also a long way from reaching our $25,000 fundraising goal!  I’m going to push as hard as I can so that we can provide clean water for Haiti.  In my heart I know we’ll reach the goal, but we can’t do it without YOU!  5 great people donated yesterday but we probably need about 25 a day to hit the goal!

The 30 day push begins…NOW!

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Wow! When I was a kid this scene from Rocky IV would totally inspire me. Still works! I guess I am still that same guy. A little over a month before I climb Rainier!

TweetThis quote from the famous theologian and scholar, Howard Thurman, has really been on my mind…

“Don’t ask yourself what the world needs, ask yourself what makes you come alive. And then go and do that. Because what the world needs is people who are alive.”

AMEN!

TweetWhen a resolute young fellow steps up to the great bully, the world, and takes him boldly by the beard, he is often surprised to find it comes off in his hand, and that it was only tied on to scare away the timid adventurers.

– Ralph Waldo Emerson

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This awesome image, or mind movie, as I like to call it, is so true. Time after time in my life, I have found that the frightening beard of the thing that was making me pee in my pants just comes off in my hand.  It wasn’t even real.

TweetBeen fighting off bronchitis for the past 10 days now.  Been through a round of antibiotics.  My training has been impacted by it most of all.  Back to the doctor today.

My training window is closing in on me for sure.

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14 years ago as a 17 year old freshman @ Morehouse College, I memorized the following quote from Dr. Benjamin Elijah Mays (above) – the revered President of Morehouse from 1940-1967 and the mentor (as well as eulogist) of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.  I find myself reciting it more now than ever…

“The tragedy of life doesn’t lie in not reaching your goal. The tragedy lies in having no goal to reach. It isn’t a calamity to die with dreams unfilled, but it is a calamity not to dream. It isn’t a disgrace not to reach the stars, but it is a disgrace to have no stars to reach for.”