Project Update - July

By Isabelle Privé

A team meeting was held last Thursday with 18 out of 23 members present.

Losses:

The further we get into our adventure, the more it takes on Olympic proportions, whether in the amount of time needed for fund-raising, for training and for voluntary work, or in the difficulty represented by the climb itself.

Sadly, the team has lost several of its original members. We'd like to thank Line, Bruno-Pierre, Gabrielle, Maude and Pascal for having had the guts to come so far. We wish them all the best.

As the team gets smaller, the bond between us gets stronger. We are more determined than ever to live up to our dream.

Money matters:

The dates and amounts of the deposits to be made are now known and, with this step, we wake up to the reality of our commitment to the project.  It will be even more so in October when we make our first payment to Expé.

Mathieu Fleury, Expé:

Our partner, Mathieu Fleury from Expé, was there to talk about the adventure and answer our questions. Vaccinations, passports, training and equipment were covered. We learnt that we won't be able to wash our hair, that there'll be no toilets between the camps and that there's not a load of bushes either!!!  Type of boots, type of backpack. Training sessions on Mont Royal. In other words, a first inkling of what it'll be like to travel with Expé. Thank you, Mathieu, for coming and for answering our questions so fully.

Voluntary work:

As voluntary involvement is at the heart of our project, we decided to plan at least one activity a month. We've started discussing with Sainte-Justine Hospital ways of spending some time with their sick children. We'll keep you up to date. 

Group activity:

We've planned a weekend at Sylvain and Janie's chalet in August to practise living as a team. We'll be camping, climbing Mont Tremblant and spending the evening round the fire. A good occasion for really getting to know one another!

Fund-raising:

We're sure to keep warm this Autumn with all the fund-raising activities planned. Packing groceries, organising a gastronomic supper, Casino evenings, Bowl-a-thon. We need everyone to pitch in if we're going to succeed.

Our fund-raising activity "Kili Corner Shop" is a victim of its own success! We're having trouble keeping up with the demand for our little bags of treats. So plan on spending several evenings producing them at Sylvain and Janie's.

Another jam-packed meeting and a very pleasant evening with the team!

Translated by Pamela Gauvin