Shortly after taking a course on "how to be in the moment", Mount Marcy gave me plenty of opportunity to practice. At 3am on the side of the mountain, I had no choice.

With the help of a head lamp to cut through the darkness, I kept my footing during the hours of ascension, appreciating the sounds of nature and refl ecting on the team of people from all across the country who were climbing to raise funds for this extremely worthy cause.

Reaching the summit was exhilarating! I will never forget the speed at which the clouds raced by ... huddling behind a rock with new friends... Being in the moment throughout the day, I thoroughly enjoyed the joking, the laughing, and getting to know other participants ... especially knowing that I could persevere during the hardest challenge – the 4-hour descent.

Participating in Climb For A Cause made it clear that we all have the power to make a difference in the lives of others, whether next door or around the world. The important decision is to choose to act.