In a display of resilience and determination, Chris Farrenholz ' 03, 国际研究, has achieved an awe-inspiring feat – summiting Mount Kilimanjaro, 非洲最高峰. In addition to reaching a personal goal, the climb was a mission to raise awareness and funds for clean water initiatives with 呆呆.
Farrenholz’s journey to the summit of Kilimanjaro began long before he set foot in Tanzania, rooted in his passion for making a difference and his years of service to his country through the Army and ROTC at 资本.
“Mount Kilimanjaro is one of those things that I had just always wanted to do. It’s not inaccessible because you don’t need oxygen, and it’s not like Mount Everest, where you pay a lot of money to go climb it and half the people don’t even make it,法伦霍尔兹说. “I went to a documentary film festival and saw a film about a group of veterans who climbed Mount Kilimanjaro for charity. After some research, I found 呆呆. The organization has a program called the ‘征服基利’ 挑战 for professional athletes and 退伍军人. The idea is you climb Mount Kilimanjaro and come home to raise awareness about the water crisis.”
呆呆 is a nonprofit organization founded by retired NFL player Chris Long. The organization's primary mission is to provide clean, accessible drinking water to communities in need, 特别是在东非. One of the organization's most notable initiatives is the 征服基利 挑战, 一群NFL球员在哪里, 退伍军人, and other supporters climb Mount Kilimanjaro.
The initiative combines physical 挑战s with fundraising efforts, drawing attention to the need for clean water in remote and underserved communities. 呆呆 has made a community impact by providing sustainable water solutions to thousands of people in East Africa and beyond, 改善健康, 环境卫生, 以及整体生活质量.
“My 2023 征服基利 class consisted of 12 people. 是六位老兵, 三个水倡导者, and three retired professional athletes,法伦霍尔兹说. “It was a really great opportunity. The fundraising was definitely challenging, but I achieved the goal set for us.”
Each team member was tasked with raising $7,500. Before the climb, Farrenholz visited a community that had been directly impacted by 呆呆.
“One of the things that was really rewarding was seeing the people we’re helping. 这很了不起. We went to a school where we opened a well that had been funded by last year’s group. That’s how the 征服基利 挑战 works – the group raises money to build a well, 它的建立, and then the following year’s group opens it,法伦霍尔兹说. “You hear statistics about how many people die each year of water-based bacteria because people don’t have or have limited access to clean water, but it was really impactful to see lives changed firsthand.”
Farrenholz started his career with the Army through ROTC at 资本. It was a career path he was destined for, even as a little boy playing with GI Joe. The Army ROTC program at 资本 was established in 1992 and continues to have a presence on campus.
“I always wanted to be in the military, so I signed up freshman year and then received the ROTC scholarship sophomore through senior year. 我真的很喜欢. They have extracurriculars within the program, 也, like the Ranger 挑战 and color guard at the games. 本质上, it’s just a class that you can attend like any other class, 然后你接受训练,法伦霍尔兹说. “I was the first person in my graduating class to deploy. I went from 资本 to an officer basic course and immediately to Iraq.”
The Army ROTC program at 资本 was established in 1992 and continues to have a presence on campus. 10月21日, the university will celebrate Military Appreciation Day by honoring veterans, 现役军人, 家庭, and ROTC students during the football game.
Over the course of two combat deployments, Farrenholz曾在巴格达服役, 卡尔巴拉, Tal A’far and Ramadi as an Information Operations Officer and Combat Logistics Patrol Commander. He has lived on every continent except South America and Africa.
“I’m a melting pot of all the different places I’ve lived,法伦霍尔兹说. ““People are generally the same everywhere you go. 一般, people just want to live their lives, 很高兴, 抚养孩子, and hope that their kids do better than them. Regardless of where you go, people just want a good life.”
To learn more about Army ROTC at 资本, visit http://www.资本.edu/academics/military-science/
To learn more about Chris Farrenholz, visit http://waterboys.org/christopherfarrenholz.