Lydig Employees Summit Mt Adams to Fight Cancer
Twenty-three Lydig Construction employees climbed a Mountain to save lives as part of The Climb to Fight Breast Cancer for the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center. The Lydig team raised more than $100000 of the $641000 raised to support the Hutch this year.
Mountaineering was always something you wonder about but do not know how you will respond until you have taken on the challenge said Sean Woerman Sr. Account Manager and one of 18 Lydig employees to reach the summit of Mt. Adams Washington’s second highest peak at 12276 feet.
Training on local routes such as Mt. Si Poo Poo Point and others are good practice but when you begin climbing at just after 1:00 a.m. with only food water and layers of clothing for the day with a purpose to not return to base camp until 4:00 p.m. in order to pack and descend another two and a half hours back to the trailhead with 40-50 pound backpacks -- it makes for a long day. But the experience was rewarding to say the least. Our Bellevue Office Manager Isabelle Gentry is a breast cancer survivor and she reached the summit with the Lydig team. It was an amazing day!
Woerman who also serves on AGCs Future Leadership Forum (FLF) Steering Committee explained that the idea for the climb grew out of a Lydig Wellness Challenge and employees desire to do more for the community.
Although virtually all of our employees were involved in individual pursuits through charities for food banks habitat for humanity churches schools and community organizations there was no one thing that we could hang our hat on as a company Woerman explained. Breast cancer has affected so many people either personally or through a close family member or friend that it was easy to get behind the effort. Plus the climb was tied so closely to our corporate fitness initiative -- we had both the purpose and an action plan.
Woerman thanked the Lydig management team particularly CEO Larry Swartz and Western Region President Gus Gottschalk for not only contributing but participating in the climb but also for leading by example and reaching the summit. He also expressed a special thank you to Ryan Dahle Lydig Construction Sr. Project Engineer whose passion for the outdoors and helping others was realized in this effort.
“Lydig Construction has got to be the fittest company in America!” says Lisa Carlson Climb to Fight Breast Cancer Event Manager. “Lydig is making a difference and funding life-saving research. They are setting an example for the rest of the corporate community.”