The mountain of success

Pictures of monkeys, giraffes, a hippopotamus and exotic flora and fauna wowed the fifth-graders watching the video slide show in the dark, but it wasn’t until a photograph of an icy mountain came up that the whole room thrilled.

Students, teachers and board members of El Viento came together Tuesday afternoon at Oak View Elementary School to welcome back fellow board member Joseph Chairez after he climbed a 19,300-foot mountain through five climatic zones for them.

“Joe, we are here to celebrate your climb. We are so grateful for everything you’ve done,” said Executive Director Zayda Garcia.

El Viento is a youth development organization in Huntington Beach that works to help students in the underprivileged Oak View neighborhood get into college by giving them academic assistance and enrichment opportunities, Garcia said.

Chairez climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, Africa, over the holidays to raise about $12,000 for the students through “Climb for Our Kids.”

The climb took 10 days through a jungle filled with wild animals to the icy summit where a frozen lake formed in his tent.

Through everything, Chairez said, his training and preparation allowed him to enjoy it — except for the camping part.

“To me, the real culture shock was living in a tent,” he said.

Chairez didn’t just climb the mountain, but spent about a year training and educating himself about climbing, and he shared the experience with the students.

The fifth-graders went on three hikes with Chairez, learning about staying hydrated and about the different equipment, but the lesson wasn’t really about climbing a mountain — it was about life.

Showing the students how to dream big, and then how to go about accomplishing that dream through planning and hard work, was Chairez’ real goal. Climbing a mountain was how many of them feel about going to college, he said.

Tony Castillo, 11, and Juan Negrete, 12, said Chairez showed them that anything is possible.

“I learned to keep on trying like Mr. Chairez,” Tony said.

How To Help

Donate online: www.elviento.org