Mt Fuji Rocks! – The Joy Trip Project

Mt Fuji Rocks! – The Joy Trip Project


For more than a year now it’s been my pleasure to bring you the stories behind the selfless causes of people trying to make the world a better place. The mission of the Joy Trip Project is to explore the lives of those who blend their passion for adventure with their desire to work for the benefit of others or toward the preservation of life on our planet. In my own way I hope that I have contributed to the success of their causes by bringing them to your attention and encouraging you to participate. So in the spirit of that mission I’m pleased to announce a new Joy Trip Project initiative.
On August 29, 2010 I will join a small group of climbers to ascend the summit of Mount Fuji in Japan. Organized by the non-profit Love Hope Strength this event aims to raise money and awareness for the fight against cancer. Fuji Rocks! is the lasted in a series of climbs that feature a base-camp live music concert along with a drive to register new bone marrow donors to the national database of those willing to help a leukemia patient in need of a bone marrow transplant. It is my plan that with your help over the next five months The Joy Trip Project will raise $6,000 to $10,000 for this cause and register at least 1,000 new donors.

In a recent edition of the podcast I shared with you an interview with Love Hope Strength executive director Shannon Foley (Love Hope Strength). Having reported on her organization in the past I’ve been well aware of her work and the desperate need for more people to register as bone marrow donors. But what has most struck me personally is the very low number of African-Americans currently in the database, less than eight percent. As a bone marrow transplant requires a close genetic match it’s vitally important that the donor database be as diverse as possible. With so few available donors many African-Americans will die waiting for a transplant.

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As a climber and a person color I felt that this would be an excellent opportunity to help in true Joy Trip fashion. While raising money and awareness for bone marrow donation I also hope to encourage more African-Americans to participate in sports like climbing, backpacking and camping as part of a healthy active lifestyle.
Though an ascent of Mount Fuji is a fine physical challenge the true adventure will be in the journey getting there. Though in the past I’ve climbed higher than the summit’s 12,000 feet, the real mission will be in rallying the attention of those who might support this initiative either by making a financial contribution or by becoming a bone marrow donor or by simply sharing the story behind this project with their friends through their social networks.
Over the next five months several editions of the Joy Trip Project podcast and blog will be dedicated to the stories of others on similar journeys. In keeping with the project’s mission I’ll continue to develop stories for publication in print and broadcast for radio. And with your support both financial and moral I know that the Fuji Rocks! project will be a great success.
Please write at your next opportunity with your pledge of support to info@joytripproject.com. I’ll have an online donation service set up soon, but for now drop me a line to let me know that I can count on you. Without your help this Joy Trip will not happen. I’ll need to raise the capital to cover my travel expenses just to make the climb. But if this story sounds like something you’d like to support a contribution of any amount will help pave the way. I count my wealth in my number of friends, the cultivation of my talents and my ability to share all of what I have with those who need it most. You can help me make that happen. Be in touch. But for now, take care.
Yours most truly,
James
For more information on Mt. Fuji Rocks! visit: http://www.lovehopestrength.org/site/fujirocks/