Zion Rock Climbing, located at the site of the old Underground coffee shop, held a fundraiser Nov. 10 in order to raise funds and provide an opportunity of outreach within the community.
The objective: climb Mount Everest. One might assume that Everest is in fact located in the Himalayas of Asia, but owner Sean Hudkins decided to bring the challenge of 29,029 feet to Searcy. Each volunteer was assigned to climb 1,073 feet, collectively climbing the height of Mount Everest as a team. Zion was able to raise more than $10,000 as each volunteer was sponsored for their distance of climbing. After recently converting Zion into a non-profit organization, volunteers were able to raise funds enabling the organization to continue providing an outreach and ministry to climbers and non-climbers alike.
Groups waiting for their next turn to climb took time to rest and pray together over Zion’s mission, staff and all those involved in its work.
According to sophomore Josh Okerstrom, after their goal of collectively climbing Everest had been reached, a few volunteers made a competition of who could climb up and down the most.
“We decided, you know what, we’re going to climb the entire height of Mount Everest by ourselves, climbing the wall after 63 times, all the way up and down, and to keep climbing until we reached 880 (times up and down),” Okerstrom said. “Then we decided you know, next year, when we do this, I want to be able to say I did this like a thousand times, so we went ahead and did the extra 121.”
According to Okerstrom, climbing “Everest” was more than a fundraiser, but an outreach to get people involved and to show God to the world in a way that only rock climbing can.
While most consider rock climbing a recreational activity, it means much more to Searcy local Kelly Cross.
“I think (Zion Rock Climbing owners) Sean and Emily have done a really good job with what they’ve been working on, making Zion what it is,” Cross said. “It’s just a really safe place for people, climbers and non climbers, who just need a safe place to go. That group is such an awesome community, you walk in and you feel loved and that’s exactly what they set out to do.”
According to Cross, Zion is already accomplishing that goal.
