Welcome! We are Joe and Kim Kommer, Jessi Cavey and Erin Gainey, a group of friends that have come together to fight for those battling lung disease. Together, we have committed to attempt the summit of 14,410 ft, Mt Rainier in July to raise awareness of the American Lung Association. We formed our team through a program called Climb For Clean Air. Throughout the next four months, we will be training hard to get our bodies ready to take on this physically demanding challenge. Climbing Mt. Rainier will not be our only challenge, as we have committed to raise $16,000 before June 1st. We realize this is a big commitment and we will need YOUR help.
This year, CFCA is extremely close to my heart, as my Papa was recently diagnosed with lung cancer. He is putting up a tough fight and I promised him I’d fight with him. Papa has always encouraged me to follow my dreams and do great things, he was the one that helped me grow in my faith and I will be forever grateful for that. I see the world differently because of him and I want to honor him for all he has done for me, this year, I am climbing for my Papa.
By donating on our behalf you'll be supporting our journey and funding the ALA's excellent programs and research. With your help, we will make a positive difference for all of the parents who have a child with asthma, the people who struggle daily with COPD and the mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers, children and friends who get diagnosed with lung cancer.
This year, CFCA is extremely close to my heart, as my Papa was recently diagnosed with lung cancer. He is putting up a tough fight and I promised him I’d fight with him. Papa has always encouraged me to follow my dreams and do great things, he was the one that helped me grow in my faith and I will be forever grateful for that. I see the world differently because of him and I want to honor him for all he has done for me, this year, I am climbing for my Papa.
By donating on our behalf you'll be supporting our journey and funding the ALA's excellent programs and research. With your help, we will make a positive difference for all of the parents who have a child with asthma, the people who struggle daily with COPD and the mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers, children and friends who get diagnosed with lung cancer.
Joe & Kim Kommer are originally from Saint Clair Shores, Michigan and are going on three years of living just outside Seattle. They moved to Washington in 2015 for Joe’s career and have since built an adventurous life together. Joe and Kim started hiking immediately after moving to the PNW, and two years later were introduced to mountaineering through Climb For Clean Air. They love to spend their free time with their two huskies hiking, camping and backpacking, and they’re ambitious about their future mountaineering goals.
The Kommers are climbing Mt. Rainier through CFCA again this year to continue raising awareness for the American Lung Association. They both have personal connections to lung disease and want to help make a difference in the lives of those suffering from asthma, COPD and lung cancer.
The Kommers are climbing Mt. Rainier through CFCA again this year to continue raising awareness for the American Lung Association. They both have personal connections to lung disease and want to help make a difference in the lives of those suffering from asthma, COPD and lung cancer.
Erin is from Greenville, SC and has lived in Seattle for about 2.5 years. She works at Starbucks Corporate in Retail Operations and she’s pretty much a coffee snob for all the right reasons. Where there is adventure, there is coffee and this is something she is very passionate about.
Erin has been hiking for most of her adult life and grew up camping a lot but after her move to Seattle she became involved with leading hikes, snowshoe trips and encouraging others to spend more time outdoors. The outdoors are truly her happy place. The summit to Mt. Rainier will be the highest elevation and biggest summit accomplishment of her mountaineering career but the summit success goes much deeper than that. This climb is personal as it is to most climbers and advocating for those who can’t make the climb is something that she’s excited about.
Erin has been hiking for most of her adult life and grew up camping a lot but after her move to Seattle she became involved with leading hikes, snowshoe trips and encouraging others to spend more time outdoors. The outdoors are truly her happy place. The summit to Mt. Rainier will be the highest elevation and biggest summit accomplishment of her mountaineering career but the summit success goes much deeper than that. This climb is personal as it is to most climbers and advocating for those who can’t make the climb is something that she’s excited about.
Jessi moved to Washington in October 2012 with her now-husband, and it literally changed her life. Coming from a small town in Virginia, Jessi’s eyes were opened to so much more than she could’ve imagined. Jessi loves spending as much time as possible outdoors – hiking, camping, snowshoeing, backpacking, kayaking – which she thankfully gets to embrace whole-heartedly with her photography business. She has always been down for adventure, but Washington has helped herfind a deeper piece of herself she didn’t know existed.
When Jessi first laid eyes on Rainier, she knew she was in love. Jessi says “she’d be lying if I said I’ve always wanted to climb it — I’ve always admired its beauty, but honestly never thought I’d have the guts to commit to something so extravagant! But enter Kim, Joe, and Erin into my life, and BAM, we have a plan! Even better, though, is that we’re doing it for such an incredible cause.”
When Jessi first laid eyes on Rainier, she knew she was in love. Jessi says “she’d be lying if I said I’ve always wanted to climb it — I’ve always admired its beauty, but honestly never thought I’d have the guts to commit to something so extravagant! But enter Kim, Joe, and Erin into my life, and BAM, we have a plan! Even better, though, is that we’re doing it for such an incredible cause.”
Thank you for taking the time to stop by our page and read about our journey. By donating on our behalf you'll be supporting our journey and funding the ALA's excellent programs and research. With your help, we will make a positive difference for all of the parents who have a child with asthma, the people who struggle daily with COPD and the mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers, children and friends who get diagnosed with lung cancer.
Much Love, Kim, Joe, Erin and Jessi.
Much Love, Kim, Joe, Erin and Jessi.
