Strom rock wall event raises money for young boy with heart defect
A day of charitable competition is coming to the Strom Thurmond Wellness and Fitness Center rock wall Saturday.
The Department of Outdoor Recreation will be partnering with USC’s Make-A-Wish club to host a climbing competition and silent auction: the 5th annual Carolina Crush Climbing Competition.
Registration begins at 9:30 a.m. and the actual competition, the climbing, starts at 10 a.m.
Climbers will be placed into divisions based on gender and skill level. Finals will be held at 2:30 p.m., and prizes will be given to the winners of each category. The competition is limited to USC students, faculty and staff who are 18 and older, but spectators are encouraged to come and watch the climbing.
Justin Thaker, a fourth-year psychology and music major, is USC Outdoor Recreation’s climbing wall and challenge course manager. He emphasized the competition’s benefits for climbers.
“For the past four years, this competition has been a positive, energetic event where climbers of all skill levels get together and share their passion and interest in a challenging, but rewarding, activity,” Thaker wrote in an email response.
The silent auction will begin at 2 p.m. Proceeds will go toward making an 8-year-old boy’s wish come true: a trip to Cars Land, Disneyland’s new tribute to the Disney/Pixar movie “Cars.”
Raleigh, from Gaston, S.C., has Tetralogy of Fallot, a congenital heart defect. His favorite “Cars” characters are Mater and Lightning McQueen and his favorite candy is Twizzlers. He’s been through multiple heart surgeries related to his illness.
The climbing competition will also host a bake sale in honor of Raleigh.
The event is free, but donations will go towards Raleigh and his trip.
“We are not only excited about the amount of new climbers that we have competing this year, but also humbled that we can be a part of making a difference in a boy who has been through what no kid should ever have to go through,” Thaker wrote in an email response.
Competition spots are almost filled up, but you can preregister by calling the Outdoor Recreations office or by visiting the office on the bottom floor of Strom.
“Come and enjoy ... a friendly atmosphere while we help Raleigh go and see Mater and Lightning McQueen at Cars Land,” Thaker wrote.