A story that helped give me the idea to do this....

Along with my love of Nepal and the wildlife that inhabits the country - namely the snow leopard - there was another story that helped give me the idea about what I will undertake in October. There's a great story that I read that made me think to doing this. Read about New York Mets knuckleballer R.A. Dickey and his climb to Kilimanjaro. He raised money for Bombay Teen Challenge, a very worthy cause that helps women in India to improve their lives and get them off the streets where many become a part of the seedier aspect of human culture.

After reading a prior story in early January about his soon-to-be climb, I thought about trying to use my trip to help give back to the world in some way. It turned into my own goal to help the World Wildlife Fund. While I certainly don't have the stature to raise the kind of money Dickey raised (he raised over $110,000!!!!), I want to work hard to hit my goal, and then see how much further I can take it. I really hope that anyone reading this can give even a few dollars on my Panda Page.

As I said in my last post, even five is more than zero. I think we can all help improve the world if we all give just a little of ourselves. In great numbers, that small amount adds up, and can help to give people around the globe a chance. Not just people, but the animals that share this planet with us! Thank you guys so much for whatever you can give. Remember, share this page with your friends! Basically? Pay it forward!

Lastly, congratulations to Dickey for far surpassing his fundraising goal and for making it to the top of Kilimanjaro!

If you think one person can't change the world.....

Think again! Whenever you think that fighting for whatever you may believe in is futile, you have to remember that ONE is still far greater than ZERO. Never feel guilty about what little you may have been able to give. If you can give five dollars? Five is much greater than zero. As Lao Tzu once said:

"A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step."

The path to helping fix the world's ills starts with even the smallest of gifts. Find a group that hits home for you, and give what you can! It can be towards cancer research, Alzheimer's, or even supporting a local homeless shelter. If you view the entire trek as daunting, you'll be too scared to take that first single step. Once you actually start the walk, you'll be surprised how naturally it comes to you!

Business cards to promote the site!

Business card to promote the cause!

So today I made an order for some business cards to help promote the blog. To the right, you'll find the design. Maybe soon you'll be seeing one in your hand!

As a side note, I was iffy on using the World Wildlife Fund's logo, but did. I kept my order on these cards small. If it's a problem using the logo? I will simply re-create the cards without them. However, I hope that it can stay, as the logo may push more people to come here and donate! Let me know what you think of the design. Surprisingly, the image is actually a preset one offered on the VistaPrint website. Not bad!

And if you can, please donate to the WWF!

100% of your donation goes to WWF!

I wanted to write one quick post, here. When you go to my Panda Page, 100% of what you give (via the WWF provided fundraising page) goes to World Wildlife Fund. I get nothing financially. I have been planning this return trip for the last two months, and decided it would be good to give back to the habitat I will be in. Some people were confused about where the money would go. So rest assured, when you go to the WWF fundraising page, all of what you contribute goes to the WWF! Also, as an incentive to those that give to the WWF: to anyone that donates 100$ or more, I will send an 8x10" from my last trip to you via mail.

Panda Page! Help me to reach my goal!

Above, you will see "Click here to donate". This page gives you the link to the Panda Page I created on the WWF site. 100% of your donation goes to World Wildlife Fund! Panda Pages are user created and allow people like myself to have a personal fundraising page to help them meet their goals. Thanks for the time, and please share this page! Facebook, Twitter, via email. Even just writing down this blog address and giving it to others helps!

Next time, I will post a few pictures from the trip on a separate page. Also, please leave a comment if you have any questions! If you want to know about travel time, how to obtain a visa, how to get around? Ask! I genuinely hope that more people visit Nepal, and I want to help make it easier for some of you and take away some of the uncertainty you may have. Thank you, again!

Walt

Welcome!

Hello, everyone!

My name is Walt Zink. Come October, I will be visiting Nepal to trek through the Annapurna Himal for a second time. From the moment I arrived back home in early November of 2011, I have had the desire to go back. This time, I wanted to use the opportunity to also raise money for an organization. The organization I will raise for on this trip will be the World Wildlife Fund.

My reason for picking this organization is simple: we must work to help save the countless animals and the habitats that are lost. In the long run, this affects our environment and thus our ability to sustain our livelihood. I truly feel that everything is connected in even a small way. When one species becomes extinct, it is possibly the food supply for another species, and so on.

I could have picked any number of organizations to help. All would have been worthy, in my mind. I simply want to focus on this year's fundraising, and will soon start putting together letters and videos to send to companies that cater to those that are also passionate about the outdoors. When I have a page set up where you can donate, I will let you know.

Next post? Pictures from my last trip, as well as ideas on what I will do while on the next trek to keep everyone posted. Thank you for taking the time to read, and please do write a note below if you would like to help! Share this page!