Gorham, NH student Connor

Check out the info in the White Mountain Cafe’s newsletter, The White Mountain Expresso.

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2011 Kismet Cliff Run on Active.com

2011 Kismet Cliff Run Registration Form (PDF)

2011 Kismet Cliff Run Press Release (PDF)

La Sportiva will sponsor the third annual Cliff Run to benefit Kismet Rock Foundation on September 18, 2011 at 10:00 AM at Echo Lake State Park in North Conway, NH.

The Kismet Cliff Run is a challenging, five mile race around beautiful Cathedral and Whitehorse Ledges in North Conway, New Hampshire. Come for the steep climbs and descents, technical singletrack, and stunning views, with approximately 1,100 feet of elevation gain. Starts and finishes at Echo Lake State Park. This event is USATF sanctioned, and part of the Eastern New England Trail Running Series. There is also a non-competitive walking division!

La Sportiva is again offering $200 to a runner who can break the course record! There will be prizes for top finishers including La Sportiva shoe gift certificates for 1st place men/women.

North Conway, NH – July 6, 2011 – Beginning July 17, 54 students from Boston, Massachusetts, Portland, Maine, and Bartlett, Gorham, and Manchester, New Hampshire will learn to climb in the White Mountains through Kismet Rock Foundation’s summer program.

“Rock climbing is a very transformative activity,” explains Brian Post, Chairperson of the Board of Directors. “Our students develop athleticism, analytic skill, good judgment, focus, team awareness, relationship skills, patience, compassion, honesty, humility, and an immense respect for themselves and the outdoors. We have students from diverse backgrounds and geographic areas coming together to share this unique experience.”

The organization serves economically underprivileged students who might otherwise ‘fall through the cracks’ of their highly stressed public school systems. By developing their potential, Kismet prepares students to contribute to their communities and their culture throughout their lives.

Kismet serves seven public schools in New Hampshire, Maine, and Massahusetts. offering students one week per summer of programs for up to four years. The first group of students arrive in North Conway on July 17th, with programs running through August 28th.

Valuable contributions from the Evenor Armington Trust, the Great Circle Foundation, The Gibson Woodbury Foundation, the Kendall C. and Anna Ham Charitable Foundation, the Nelson Charitable Foundation, the Robert and Dorothy Goldberg Foundation, the Stare Fund, and a community of individual and business donors make the program season possible. Kismet also thanks the following businesses for 2011 program support: Black Diamond Equipment, Mountain Hardwear, Nike, Inc., SOLO and Sterling Rope Co., Inc.

After the summer programs wrap up, Kismet Rock Foundation’s fall calendar includes the Annual Kismet Cliff Run on September 18th and Caliente! A Night of Salsa Dancing to Benefit Kismet Rock Foundation on November 5.

For more information about these events, to make a donation, volunteer or learn more about Kismet Rock Foundation and its climbing programs for New England youth please visit www.kismetrockfoundation.org, email Kismet, or call 603-730-2715. Kismet Rock Foundation is a nonprofit 501(c)3 and all donations are tax deductible.

Contact:
Alyssa Walker
Executive Director
Kismet Rock Foundation
PO Box 1744
North Conway, NH 03860
603.730.2715
Email Alyssa

PRESS RELEASE PROGRAM 2011 (doc file)

PRESS RELEASE PROGRAM 2011 (pdf file)

Kismet Rock Foundation supports a national effort to increase outdoor participation among Massachusetts, Maine and New Hampshire youth.

North Conway, NH – JUNE 20, 2011 – The North Face has awarded a $2,400 grant to Kismet Rock Foundation to help children and families explore the outdoors. Kismet Rock Foundation enhances the physical, intellectual and emotional development of well-functioning but economically disadvantaged children by providing access to the immense value of a comprehensive and multi-dimensional education in technical rock climbing. Kismet Rock Foundation was selected from hundreds of applications because of its focus on providing technical rock climbing instructions to economically under-served youth. In the first of two grant cycles in 2011, The North Face awarded $125,000 Explore Fund grants to 52 projects helping more than 30,000 kids to connect to nature.

“We are thrilled that the North Face Explore Fund chose Kismet Rock Foundation as a philanthropic priority. Like North Face’s Explore Fund, Kismet Rock Foundation believes in the physical, emotional and social benefits of connecting young people with the outside world and an active lifestyle. Kismet specifically uses rock climbing as a catalyst for these benefits. Our sincere thanks to the fund for enabling children from low income families in New England to be a part of the Kismet family,” says Sasha Eisele, Kismet’s Board Vice Chair.

Kismet Rock Foundation emerged out of a desire of the director, Mike Jewell, to offer the same climbing instruction to economically disadvantaged children as he had given to many children with greater resources throughout his guiding career. After nearly a decade of consideration, Mike asked a childhood friend, Stanley West, to find four children in southern New Jersey and bring them to New Hampshire for one week of technical climbing instruction. During the summer of 1999, this initial project was accomplished with little money and with much effort on the part of some very kind and generous people. Luckily, the project received media attention, including a piece on the television show “New Hampshire Crossroads.” As a result, Mike was approached by members of the North Conway community with the idea of starting a nonprofit organization. Thus, Kismet was born in the year 2000 with a small board of six, and the support of many friends and organizations.

“First-hand experience is essential to ignite a passion for the outdoors, and that shouldn’t be limited by gender, race or income level,” said Ann Krcik, director of outdoor participation at The North Face. “At The North Face, we’re dedicated to providing everyone with the access to our natural playgrounds and the resources they need to get outside.”

Kismet’s summer season will launch on July 17, 2011. To learn more about Kismet, visit www.kismetrockfoundation.org. To learn more about all of the Explore Fund grantees and to keep up on their progress visit www.planetexplore.com.

About The North Face Explore Fund
The North Face® Explore FundTM is a grant program committed to supporting non-profit, community organizations that break down the barriers preventing children and families from experiencing the outdoors. The Explore Fund, administered by The Outdoor Foundation, finds, engages and provides funding for new partners that help further the mission of inspiring the next generation of explorers and conservationists by helping them discover nature’s playground.

About PlanetExplore
PlanetExplore is an online community founded by The North Face, powered by partner organizations that share a passion for the outdoors, and designed to help individuals and families learn about and participate in outdoor activities and events in their area. PlanetExplore is a portal to the outdoors designed to inspire and enable people of all ages to become regularly active outside, and to enjoy the benefits gained through a connection to nature.

For more information, please visit our websites:
The Explore Fund www.explorefund.com
PlanetExplore www.planetexplore.com

Contact: Alyssa Walker – Executive Director
603-730-2715

North Face Press Release (docx file)
North Face Press Release (pdf file)

Contact: Alyssa Walker, Executive Director, Kismet Rock Foundation

603.229.7043

Email Alyssa

Slide Show to Benefit Kismet Rock Foundation at the White Mountain Cafe in Gorham, NH, June 10: Wild Stone – Climbing the Unclimbed from the Arctic to Arabia

Kismet Rock Foundation Board member Sasha Eisele will host Sarah Garlick’s slide show at the White Mountain Cafe in Gorham on Friday June 10, 2011 at 7 PM. Garlick’s multi-media presentation will feature new free climbing routes from the fjords of Greenland to the deserts of Jordan. Donations accepted at the door will support summer scholarships for Gorham students to attend Kismet in 2011.

With professional photography, audio clips, and short videos, Garlick tells stories from her latest two expeditions: a journey to the granite big walls of South Greenland, and an exploration of the Wadi Rum desert in Jordan. Garlick’s presentation focuses on the common core of both expeditions: a quest to find—and climb—untouched cliffs in some of the world’s wildest locations. Garlick talks about what it takes to be an expedition climber in the modern era, from discovering an objective and putting together a team, to the inevitable ups and downs of the journey itself.

“Wild Stone” shares stories and images of Garlick’s 2010 expedition to Greenland, where she and her three teammates established a new, 2,000-foot free route up a remote granite wall. This expedition was supported by the prestigious Copp-Dash Inspire Award.

The presentation also premiers new photography and video footage from an expedition to the Wadi Rum desert in Jordan this winter, where Garlick and fellow climber Caroline George established a new sandstone adventure route called Uprising.

Sarah Garlick is an avid rock, ice, and alpine climber from the White Mountains of New Hampshire, where she works as a science writer and educator. Garlick is the author of an award-winning book, “Flakes, Jugs and Splitters: A Rock Climber’s Guide to Geology,” and her climbing adventures are supported by Outdoor Research and La Sportiva.

Links:
www.kismetrockfoundation.org
www.whitemountaincafe.com

Downloads:
Wild Stone press release (MS Word document)

Meet Alyssa at Flatbread Company Benefit Night on May 19

Alyssa Walker, Kismet's Executive Director

May 17, 2011 – North Conway, New Hampshire – Kismet Rock Foundation is thrilled to welcome Alyssa Walker as executive director. A public educator for the past 10 years, Alyssa is a graduate of the University of Virginia with a BA in English Literature and an MAT from Tufts University. Alyssa has taught in Philadelphia, PA and most recently in Gorham, NH. In addition to teaching, Alyssa has also worked as a nonprofit grant writer, guided teenagers on month-long backpacking trips, and spent time learning Spanish. Alyssa lives in Jackson with her husband Brian Walker. She enjoys running, backpacking, hiking, skiing, and anything else in the outdoors.

Alyssa will be attending the Flatbread Company North Conway benefit night for Kismet this Thursday, May 19th. A portion of every pizza purchased will be donated to Kismet and a variety of exciting items and services will be raffled to help raise funds as well. All friends of the organization are encouraged to attend to welcome Alyssa to the team.

Kismet will also be hosting a yard sale this weekend, May 21-22, from 8am-2pm each day. The yard sale will be at 2017 West Side Road in North Conway. If you have items you would like to donate please contact Lisa at 603-730-2715.

Kismet Rock Foundation (Kismet) is a North Conway, New Hampshire based non-profit that enhances the physical, intellectual and emotional development of well-functioning but economically disadvantaged children by providing access to the immense value of a comprehensive education in technical rock climbing. By developing students’ potential, Kismet prepares students to positively contribute to their communities and their cultures throughout their lives.

# # #

Relevant links:

Bio for Alyssa, Kismet’s new Executive Director

Photo of Alyssa

Flatbread Company North Conway Website

Yard Sale information

This Word Document

60 Minutes – Gospel for Teens – Part 1
60 Minutes – Gospel for Teens – Part 2

These segments can also be viewed on the YouTube channel for 60 Minutes: Part 1 and Part 2.