The single most deadly accident ever to befall Mount Everest happened on April 18th, when a block of ice broke loose above the Khumbu Icefall above base camp, which unleashed a massive avalanche that killed 16 Sherpa guides. The slide at 20,000 feet buried Sherpas who were setting up ropes and camps along the route for mountaineering clients. In the aftermath of the tragedy, Sherpas and commercial guide services decided to call off the 2014 Everest climbing season out of respect for the victims.
Sherpas are notoriously underpaid, receiving only a few thousand dollars for their dangerous work. The Nepalese government offered a meager $400 per victim to the guide’s families, which has outraged the Sherpa and climbing community. In response, The Human Outreach Project, along with Snowbird Ski and Summer Resort, will to host a fundraiser for the Sherpa families affected by the disaster.
“As a community of mountaineers, we feel inspired to bring relief to those families affected in the Khumbu region,” said Dean Cardinale, President of Human Outreach Project. “We are committed to using the money raised for a long-term commitment to the families of the Sherpas who lost their lives on the mountain.”
The Sherpa Fundraiser will happen on Memorial Day, May 26, 2014 at the Snowbird Center on the Plaza Deck from 2-6 p.m. Funds will be raised through an opportunity drawing and silent auction. There will also be live music, and Bill Allred of X96’s Radio from Hell show, who visited Everest base camp, will play host. All donations made to the Human Outreach Project Sherpa Fund will go directly to the families of Sherpas lost to the avalanche, and a portion of every lift ticket sold that day will be donated to the cause. So go skiing or snowboarding on Memorial Day, enjoy the day on the Snowbird Plaza Deck, and help out this good cause.
If you can’t make the event, but still want to help, you can make a donation online at http://www.humanoutreachproject.org/donate-to-the-sherpa-relief-fund.
For more information, visit Snowbird and the Human Outreach Project online.