On a steamy August day in Georgia, over 300 people spent the morning walking a track and climbing stadium stairs all for a special purpose. It was the culmination of Lendmark’s Climb to a Million – an effort spurred on by the compassion of Lendmark CEO, Bobby Aiken, as he watched the son of his lifelong friend deal with the effects of a brain tumor.

“I watched Chip literally fight for his life and win,” He said. “Chip’s fight has made me a better person and has positively impacted many, many lives.”

Bobby is a stadium runner, and spent the last few years thinking about Chip and kids like him who are facing the challenges of cancer.  So he took his love of stadium running and turned it into a fundraiser, engaging his company’s employees, partners and vendors in the fight against childhood cancer. In its first year, the climb raised $282,000 to fight childhood cancer. In its second year it surpassed expectations and raised over $505,000!

It wasn’t just in Georgia, either. Teams with creative names like Pirates of the CUREibbean and SWATT (Sprinters, Walkers, and Trash-Talkers) held friendly fundraising competitions across the country. It also wasn’t only about climbing. A poker tournament in Colorado, lollipops in Virginia, and sand dunes in California gave employees the chance to use their unique skills and interests to join the fight.

“We are inspired by Lendmark and their incredible commitment to make a difference in the lives of children with cancer,” said CURE’s Executive Director, Kristin Connor. “They saw a problem and set out to fix it in a creative and fun way. Their energy and passion is contagious!”

 

Read more about our good friends at Lendmark Financial here.