Roger's House parents and volunteers embark on a charity Kilimanjaro climb

OTTAWA – Two Roger’s House parents are leading a group of parents and volunteers from Roger’s House on a climb of Mount Kilimanjaro in October of this year to both honour the memories of their children, and to raise funds for the paediatric hospice that helped them through the most difficult time a parent could ever face. The team will undertake the Lemosho route and ascend Mount Kilimanjaro from the west. The 12-day itinerary will start on Oct. 7, with the final push to the summit on Oct. 15.

Sky-High for Roger’s House is a fundraising initiative brought forward by Sophie Rosa and Angelo Garcia. They met through the bereavement group at Roger’s House in January 2010; Sophie had lost her youngest son, Simon, to a drowning accident during a school outing, while Angelo lost his son Misha to brain cancer.

Long before meeting each other, both Sophie and Angelo had planned to climb Kilimanjaro. Sophie was in training to climb when her son passed away, while Angelo and his son had planned to climb Kilimanjaro together. However, the return of Misha’s tumour kept them from fulfilling their dream. In his will, Misha asked his father to scatter his ashes on top of Kilimanjaro so they may still reach the highest peak of Africa together.

During the Roger’s House Telethon in March 2011, Sophie and Angelo were sitting next to one another answering phones and taking donations when Angelo confided he was looking into climbing Kilimanjaro to scatter Misha’s ashes. They committed on that very night to doing a charity climb for Roger’s House.

"I can’t think of a more endearing way to honor the memory of my son Simon than by raising funds to support the fantastic care and support provided by the dedicated staff and volunteers at Roger’s House," said Sophie Rosa. "and climbing one of the most iconic mountains in the world to scatter the ashes of one of Roger’s House client seems a perfect way to raise awareness of how this amazing haven helps so many families during the most unnatural and devastating moments in their lives."

"We are amazed at how many Ottawa and Gatineau businesses have expressed their intention to raise our spirits to various heights on the itinerary and support us through one of our various elevation sponsorship packages,” says Angelo Garcia, “It’s inspiring for all of us to see the overwhelming support from the community for such a great cause.”

Anyone wishing to support and sponsor the Sky-High for Roger’s House team can do so by visiting the Sens Foundation website, www.sensfoundation.com, or follow the team via their blog http://skyhigh4rh.blogspot.ca/ or their twitter account @SkyHigh4RH.

Supporters of the Sens Foundation can still join the Sky High for Roger’s House team and reach the peak of the world’s highest free standing mountain; for more information, contact Sophie Rosa and Angelo Garcia at SkyHigh4RH@gmail.com. The Lemosho route does not require any technical skills or mountain climbing experience and is considered the most beautiful route and grants panoramic vistas on various sides of the mountain with a high summit success rate.

Roger's House receives its base funding from the Ontario government but counts on the community to support the Sens Foundation, which makes up the shortfall and ensures an enhanced level, quality and quantity of care is provided. The Sens Foundation will provide Roger's House with about 25 per cent of annual operating budget this year, plus additional funding for capital expenditures, service to Quebec families and contributions to two endowments.

Roger's House is the charity of choice of the Sens Foundation. Now in its sixth year of operation, it has had more than 1,760 admissions from across Ontario and western Quebec. The welcoming home-away-from-home atmosphere comforts children with life-limiting illnesses and their families that are admitted to the state-of-the-art, eight-bedroom facility, where dedicated professionals and volunteers provide the best in compassionate care and support.

For more information on the Sky-High for Roger’s House initiative, contact:

Sophie Rosa, SkyHigh4RH@gmail.com
Al Roberts, roberts@sensfoundation.com