Kilimanjaro Summit for 1stResponder & Military Mental Health

Dan is a police officer, and I (Matt) am a firefighter. Our friendship was born out of shared struggles, both personal and professional. At different points in our lives, we each faced serious mental health challenges and found ourselves at the end of our ropes. What saved us was making the decision to seek help, along with the unwavering support of our friends and family. That decision saved our lives.

Since meeting, we’ve discovered that activities like hiking, rock climbing, and traveling have played a huge role in our healing and personal growth.

In January 2025, Dan and I will embark on an incredible journey—traveling nearly 9,000 miles to summit Mt. Kilimanjaro in Africa. If all goes as planned (flights, weather, global stability, etc.), we’ll leave Rapid City on January 5th and aim to reach the summit around January 17th. On our way back, we’ll stop in England for a few days of rest and recovery.

We’ve decided to use this adventure as an opportunity to raise awareness about mental health and suicide prevention among first responders and military personnel. Our goal is to raise funds for two incredible organizations—Save a Warrior and The Warrior PATHH—both of which provide life-saving programs for those in need.

To be clear, we are fully funding this trip ourselves. However, if you would like to contribute to trip expenses, please send us a message in the “contact” section after donating so we are aware.

if you would like to help in sponsoring this adventure, please contact us asap!

Your support can help make a real difference for first responders and veterans struggling with mental health challenges. Thank you for being part of this journey with us.