When families in North Texas come to The Warm Place, they begin a journey to conquer a mountain of grief.
"Our mission is to help children that have experienced the death of a loved one," said Shelley Spikes, director of events and public relations for The Warm Place. "So they're able to come and meet with other kids who have experienced a similar loss and talk about their feelings."
Arlington firefighter Alex Cramer knows those feelings all too well.
"I lost a sister when I was in high school, so for me this really hit home," said Cramer. "Knowing that something like The Warm Place is out here for people was just really impressive to me."
It's why he got with his friend, Fort Worth firefighter Clint Brewer, and the two of them hatched a plan to help the nonprofit by trying to conquer an actual mountain – North America's tallest mountain to be exact.
"The total altitude of Denali is 20,310 feet," said Cramer. "So our aim is to try to raise at least that much for [The Warm Place]."
The Warm Place provides all services at no cost to the families who use them, so it relies exclusively on grants and private donations to keep its programs going.
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"We were very excited when they came to us," said Spikes. "That's a big chunk for us and can really support a lot of children attending our program."
Cramer and Brewer, who are both avid, experienced mountain climbers, will leave for Alaska on June 19. They say they're looking forward to the challenges Denali will throw their way.
"I can't dunk a basketball, so I figured mountain climbing was the next best thing," said Brewer. "I basically live my life trip-to-trip. So this is another chapter in that."
Brewer attempted to scale Denali two years ago, but never made it to the top because of bad weather. He's hoping this time around, things end differently.
"It made me want to get back as soon as I could," said Brewer. "So as soon as [Cramer] said he wanted to do it, I didn't need any more encouragement."
They may, however, need encouragement during the climb, which Brewer says can be unforgiving. And in those moments, they'll use The Warm Place as their motivation and fuel.
"We chose to go through this," said Cramer. "Compared to what the kids who come to The Warm Place are going through, our struggles won't seem so bad."
"We just couldn't wait to do it," said Brewer.
To help meet their goal, Cramer and Brewer are teaming up with Rahr & Sons Brewing Company in Fort Worth for a fundraiser on Thursday, June 2.
Adults 21 & older can stop by the Rahr Brewery, at 701 Galveston Avenue, between 6 p.m. and 9 p.m., where $20 will get them a special pint glass and four beers. All proceeds will go to The Warm Place.
