Climbing Higher in memory of Frank Pintuaro
The first time I thought about climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro I shared the crazy notion with my boss at the time, Frank Pintuaro. I was still a smoker back then and Frank promptly told me he thought I was nuts. I took that as encouragement.
Frank and I worked together on and off for seven years before he lost his battle with cancer in 2012. He made space for me at a time in my life when I didn't know what the heck I was doing. He encouraged, he cajoled; he (thankfully) couldn't help but always tell me the truth. One-of-a-kind doesn't really do him justice - just ask any of the crazy misfits, rebels & troublemakers who've had the pleasure of his favor and friendship. Five-plus years on and I still feel his absence; I still miss his counsel.
Now that I've finally gotten around to committing to climb Kilimanjaro, it was a no-brainer that Frank be an integral part of it. Fingers crossed, we'll summit under a full moon on July 28th.
I've created this page in Frank's honor to raise funds for research at Memorial Sloan Kettering, where they took such good care of him, and I hope you’ll consider joining the cause and making a donation. (Mt. Kilimanjaro is 19,341 feet, so you do the math!)
Too many of us know people who have faced cancer and sometimes it's hard to know how we can make a difference. One of the most effective ways to help is to make sure the crucial work being done at Sloan continues to have the support that will drive it forward. I’ve created this page because I am determined to do my part, or to put it in Frank's words: Be nice or leave!
When the next new breakthrough is announced, I want to know that I have been a part of making it happen, and it would mean that much more to me if you would join me in the effort so that I can say that we helped make it happen. Every dollar counts - thank you!
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