COLUMBUS, Ind. — In the past decade alone, Mark Yeaton has cycled across the state to raise money for small business loans among the struggling in Ghana, pedaled 3,000 miles cross country to raise funds for clean water for the less fortunate in Kenya, and steered his handlebars up a total of 29,00o feet of Brown County hills to generate donations for United Way of Bartholomew County.
Interestingly, that last 20-hour climbing effort falls under an activity called Everesting.
Now, he has capped his fundraising feats by ditching the bike and summiting Tanzania’s Mount Kilimanjaro, Africa’s highest peak at 19,341 feet — all with an experienced crew from Indianapolis. Kilimanjaro, also scaled by Columbus resident Walter Glover, is known as one of the world’s Seven Summits.
Yeaton’s wife, Sherry, posted the news on Facebook about her husband who turns 60 on Feb. 18. Plus, leaders with the Christian-based Fellowship of Associates of Medical Evangelism announced that Yeaton has exceeded his climb’s goal of raising $20,000 to build the outreach’s Kisumu Kenya Clinic in the western segment of the country. In fact the total raised stands at more than the goal, but organizers are now committed to spending up to $30,000 on the facility.
“Every step counts,” Yeaton said before leaving for the climb through five climate zones.
For the complete story, see Thursday’s Republic.
