Law.com/Daily Business Review and Reporter Michael A. Mora recently shined a light on DDRB co-founding partner Dan Dolan’s climb of Mount Rainier.
Dan and a good friend recently climbed Mount Rainier to raise awareness (and money) for Sherpas through The Juniper Fund which supports Himalayan Mountain workers, their families and communities by providing cost-of living grants, vocational training, and business grants to empower families to create sustainable businesses. The money they raise from their climbs goes directly to supporting dozens of families as well as being a basic income replacement for the death of the Sherpas killed during bad storms and on climbs. A little raised goes a very long way to bringing awareness to this cause and helping many families.
Guiding the climb was Melissa Arnot Reid, a nationally known figure in the mountaineering world and the first American woman to have summited Mount Everest without oxygen. Most importantly, she is also co-founder of the nonprofit, The Juniper Fund which raises money for the families of Sherpas killed on Everest.
About The Juniper Fund
The Juniper Fund was started by mountaineers David Morton and Melissa Arnot Reid in order to address an unmet obligation they witnessed through their work as guides in the world’s highest mountains. In 2006 when David Morton was working in Nepal as a guide for Alpine Ascents International, a serac collapse in the Khumbu icefall killed three Sherpas working on commercial Everest expeditions. One of Sherpas was personally known to David and left behind a 6 month pregnant wife, who had worked numerous times for David on treks. It was then that David and his wife volunteered to assist with her unborn child’s education. In 2010, Melissa Arnot Reid was on an expedition with legendary climbing Sherpa and friend, Chhewang Nima Sherpa, when a cornice collapsed and he was killed on the summit ridge of Baruntse. It was then that Melissa committed to helping his family.