Posted August 20, 2009
Boston – Embarking on a yearlong challenge that he hopes will end at the top of Mt. Everest, mountain climber Alan Arnette will take on a greater challenge along his journey, raising money for research and public awareness of Alzheimer’s disease.
Arnette has seen the impact of Alzheimer’s first hand as he watches his 81-year-old mother suffer from the disease. After seeing this devastation, he decided to devote his climb to help find a cure for Alzheimer’s, which affects more than 5 million Americans today. His goal is to raise $100,000 for Cure Alzheimer’s Fund, a non-profit organization dedicated to raising money for targeted research with the highest probability of slowing, stopping or reversing Alzheimer’s disease. Donations can be made through his Web site, The Road Back to Mt. Everest: Memories Are Everything (www.alanarnette.com/alzheimer/memoriesareeverything.php).
“Standing at 27,200 feet on the icy slopes of Mt. Everest in 2003, I lectured myself between gasps that this was it. No more. I was too old and my body was just not fit for high altitude mountaineering,” said the recently retired Arnette. “Those experiences have come to shape my life in ways I never imagined. They are memories I never hope to forget. Alzheimer’s has robbed my mother and millions of others of their precious memories. That is why I have dedicated my journey back to Everest to raise money for research to find a cure for this devastating disease.”
Arnette began his journey in June when he began his climb to the top of Denali in Alaska. He will continue on to Shishapangma in Nepal in October, Orizaba in Mexico in January 2008, and Everest in April 2008. In between he will climb more of the Colorado 14ers. His preparations and progress will be included in dispatches from his climbs and his fundraising efforts, chronicled on his Web site.
An accomplished climber, Arnette, 50 years old, began climbing at age of 38. He has scaled Denali, Ama Dablam (Nepal), Cho Oyu (Tibet), Mont Blanc (France), and countless others. He has attempted Everest twice in 2002 and 2003 before health, weather and his own judgment made him turn back at 27,000 feet.
“We at Cure Alzheimer’s Fund thank Alan for his support of our research and his efforts to raise awareness of this devastating disease,” said Tim Armour, President of Cure Alzheimer’s Fund.
“We are honored to be part of Alan’s journey to the top of the world and wish him safe and successful travels.”
All donations will go entirely to research at Cure Alzheimer’s Fund, with none to Arnette’s climbing expenses or the Fund’s overhead costs.
Cure Alzheimer’s FundTM is a public charity established to provide funding for targeted research into the causes of Alzheimer’s disease. Cure Alzheimer’s Fund supports and funds research with the highest probability of slowing, stopping or reversing Alzheimer’s disease by 2016. For more information please visit http://www.curealzfund.org/
