Thank you for visiting our fundraising page to Support the Troops who have risked everything to serve our Great Country!

UPDATE - We made it!  On Saturday, Aug 11, we hit the summit about 630am local time after climbing since 1215am.  We were honored to bring the pictures of Jarrod, Ben and Sam with us, in the pic at right.

We were greatly motivated by their sacrifice and those of all our servicemen AND the support we've received from our donors.  Thank you all so much!

 

NEW INFO - Christen, Brendan and I would like to dedicate our effort to the memory  of Army Specialist Samuel T. Watts, 20, of Wheaton IL, a member of the 1/508 Rifle Company and the 82nd Airborne Division serving in Afghanistan who was injured by an IED on April 25, 2012 and succumbed to his injuries and passed on May 19, 2012 at Walter Reed Hospital.  Sam's colleague Cpl. Benjamin Neal of Orfordville, WI was also killed in the blast, and Sam's closest friend in the Unit, Jarrod Lallier,of Spokane Washington was sadly killed in June..  

The sacrifice and courage of these three young men is emblematic of all those who protect and serve our Country and we are humbled by the full measure of devotion they paid for us.  We hope to bring their pictures to the Summit and demonstrate that though they are at rest, they and their sacrifice  will never be forgotten.

Thank you Sam, Ben and Jarrod.

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Many thanks for your support -- and don't forget to forward this to anyone who you think might want to donate too!

My Friends,

Our family has been blessed with health and the opportunity to achieve great educations at a time so many young Americans were sacrificing life and limb in Afghanistan and Iraq.  My children, Christen and Brendan, and I will attempt to summit Mt. Kilimanjaro on August 11 and I will run the Chicago Triathlon on August  26.  We would like to use these efforts to bring attention to and support the mission of Team Red White and Blue - founded by an Iraq/AfghanVeteran now teaching at West Point.  

The mission of Team Red White and Blue is facilitate the integration of wounded Veterans back into civillian society.  Please visit RWB's website at www.teamrwb.org if  you want to lean more.

We've set an agressive goal of $10,000  for the short time we have to raise funds, but we want to give real meaning to the oft used phrase "support our troops".  We hope that those of you reading this will consider carefully how you might really support our returning Veterans if you have not done so already.  Thank you, and grace and peace to you all.

Brian Gallagher, Bradley University, John Marshall Law, Northwestern/Kellogg

Brendan Gallagher, University of Illinois, University of Notre Dame

 Christen adds:

I am raising funds for RWB and wounded Veterans because I have the utmost respect and admiration for those who risk their lives to serve and protect their country. Some of you may know that a good friend of mine lost her brother from wounds he sustained in Afghanistan in May. He was a brave twenty year old who wanted nothing more than to serve his country, and he paid the ultimate price. As part of my training for Kilimanjaro, I go for walks through Arlington National Cemetery. I first started going because Robert E. Lee's house is on one of the biggest hills in DC (we just don't have that many hills here). I hadn't been since I was a child. I am struck every time I cross the Arlington Memorial Bridge and enter the cemetery by the quiet strength emanating from that place. It is one of the few truly quiet places in this bustling city. The white stones stretch on as far as the eye can see. Looking at the stones I realized that many of them are for soldiers who lived into their later years. There are many young twenty-something Vietnam and Afghan/Iraq casualties who like Sam did not come home alive. But there are so many other men and women who did serve honorably and after returning home to live long and full lives, made Arlington their last resting place. Returning veterans deserve that opportunity and RWB helps make that transition possible. When I walk past the headstones of all of those brave men and women, I always say a quiet thank you and wish I could do more. I am raising money for RWB to say thank you to those who made it to Arlington. I hope you will support me in thanking them as well.

Christen Gallagher, Indiana University, George Washington Law