Over the week of Thanksgiving, the news broke about Jim Harris (aka Perpetual Weekend,) a Utah-based outdoor photographer who was seriously injured in Chile while training for an expedition. In the aftermath, an online, crowdsourcing fundraiser through YouCaring.com was set up, and in less than a week, over $75,000 of a $100,000 goal has already been raised. The support and generosity of the Outdoor Tribe is second to none, but even though it appears the fundraising will reach its goal, there’s still a long road ahead for Jim.
The accident occurred when Jim was getting ready for a 30-day expedition traversing the southern ice cap in Punta Arenas, Chile. The plan was to use kites to kite-ski across the ice. But while testing a kite on Monday, November 24th, he was slammed into the ground from a big gust of wind. Since then, Jim has been in a Chilean hospital awaiting medical air-transport back to the states. His brother, Kyle Harris, set up the fundraiser, and family and friends got to work organizing his transport home.
On Sunday, November 30th, he landed in Cincinnatti, Ohio where he will undergo a spinal surgery. It happens on his 33rd birthday. The entire process to get Jim back on his feet and back into the mountains taking photos will cost an ungodly amount of money. Jim has no health insurance. More money is needed. To help and donate, even a little, go to YouCaring.com. There, you can also read updates about Jim’s journey and recovery as his brother posts multiple updates about his progress.