Willie Benegas, five-time Everest summiteer will lead The North Face Athlete Team to the Kashmir region to survey damage, assess avalanche danger to relief camps, and deliver gear to the hardest hit villages. Benegas, a member of The North Face athlete team for 7 years, has frequented this region since 1993. (Image of Willie Benegas in Everest's BC in spring 2005, courtesy of UPV Valencia Spanish expedition).
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Willie Benegas to lead The North Face Athlete Team and GlobalGiving relief effort
Posted: Nov 17, 2005 11:41 am EST
(K2climb.net) Just one month after a the quake hit, the situation remains grim in Kashmir. But help is underway - from the climbing community!
Monday, ADEPT reported “Right now our medical team of 5 has to drive for about 3 to 5 hours from Srinagar to the nearest trekking point, and then trek and climb for 2 to 5 hours just to get to the village of Guhalan. Once the snowfall makes the route too difficult for them, our plan is to send out a climbing team of 5 with medicine and basic food supplies to one village each day.
"This team should be equipped to bring the critically ill to St. Joseph's Hospital in Baramulla for treatment. That means we will need 4 to 5 such teams to cover all the villages on a weekly rotating basis, including periods for rest. We expect to have these teams up and running by early December, and continue working for about 3 months.”
Climbers: check. Money/gear: check. Permits - next obstacle
California climber Don Bowie (back from Broad Peak) has volunteered to co-ordinate the effort for ADEPT and raised funds for this initiative. "As for the permits and security issues - we'll be taking these up directly with the Pakistani authorities. It's a dicey problem though, since the plan involves foreign nationals in an area where terrorists operate,” wrote ADEPT.
Whilst that group is racing against time to sort out the paperwork, Willie Benegas (back from Latok 1 and Everest) is coordinating efforts for the North Face. Here goes the hot-of-the press release:
The North Face and GlobalGiving Kick off Nationwide Gear Drop
"Winter is coming and the situation is becoming increasingly urgent for the estimated 2 -3 million people left homeless by the 7.6 magnitude earthquake in South Asia. The North Face and GlobalGiving have partnered to conduct a nationwide gear drop from November 18 – 23, with The North Face utilizing its retail stores as collection centers and GlobalGiving connecting the group to credible organizations on the ground in Kashmir who will help distribute the goods to those in most need.
Willie Benegas will lead The North Face Athlete Team, including Renan Ozturk, Cedar Wright and Patrick Kenny, a colleague of Benegas, to the Kashmir region to survey damage, assess avalanche danger to relief camps, and deliver gear to the hardest hit villages. Benegas, a member of The North Face athlete team for 7 years, has frequented this region since 1993 and took the lead on this expedition to give back to the region that inspires this group of mountaineers to continue to explore.
Donations must be clean and functional and limited to: three and four-season tents, tarps, sleeping bags, pads, packs, waterproof and/or insulated jackets, insulated tops or layering pieces (i.e. fleece, wool). Further details are available at: www.thenorthface.com."
Donate between November 18 and 23rd at any of The North Face Retail Stores:
The North Face - San Francisco
180 Post St.
San Francisco, CA 94108
(415) 433-3223
The North Face Outlet - Berkeley
1238 5th St.
Berkeley, CA 94710
(510) 526-3530
The North Face - Palo Alto
217 Alma St.
Palo Alto, CA 94301
(650) 327-1563
The North Face - Seattle
1023 1st Ave.
Seattle, WA 98104
(206) 622-4111
The North Face - Boulder
629-K So. Broadway
Boulder, CO 80303
(303) 499-1731
The North Face - Chicago
875 No. Michigan Ave
Chicago, IL 60611
(312) 337-7200
The North Face - Beverly Hills
423 North Beverly Drive
Beverly Hills, CA 90210
(310) 246-4120
The North Face - Boston
326 Newbury Street
Boston, MA 02115
(617) 536-8060
The North Face - New York
2101 Broadway
New York, NY 10023
(212) 362-1000
The North Face - Portland
1202 NW Davis Street
Portland, OR 97209
(503) 727-0200
The North Face - Tyson’s Corner
7870L Tyson’s Corner Center
McLean, VA 22102
(703) 917-0111
About GlobalGiving
GlobalGiving was founded by two former World Bank executives who led the team that created the World Bank Development Marketplace, at which social entrepreneurs from around the world compete for grants. GlobalGiving's mission is to build a highly efficient marketplace where individuals, corporations, and other institutions can find and fund projects around the world. Since GlobalGiving launched in 2002, it has facilitated the flow of $2.6 million to over 400 projects.
About The North Face
The North Face, a subsidiary of VF Corp., was founded in 1966 and opened its first retail store in 1968. Headquartered in San Leandro, California, the company offers the most technically advanced products in the market to accomplished climbers, mountaineers, extreme skiers and explorers. The company's products are sold in specialty mountaineering, backpacking and skiing retailers, premium-sporting goods retailers and major outdoor specialty retail chains. Additional information about The North Face can be found on the company’s website, www.thenorthface.com."
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