Chattanoogans please read!!! Fundraiser to help Kirk Brode and local rope rescue!

This is a big deal.

If you've ever climbed in Chattanooga, or looked at a guidebook for T-Wall, there's a name that you know. Kirk Brode. The list of his FA's is staggering, Voodoo Roof, Homeland Insecurity and Hell or High Water (among MANY others) at T-Wall, and Human Chew Toy at LRC. And that's just scratching the surface, thanks to his route development and work with the SCC, if you're a Tennessee climber, then Kirk Brode has made your experience better, one could even say that it will be his lasting legacy.

Do you know what else he does? He saves your ass when you get hurt hanging off the side of that sweet sweet Southern Sandstone as one of the area's preeminent rope-rescue experts.

This summer. Kirk and his girlfriend went on a road trip to California to volunteer with an organization that serves under served youth in and around the Sierra Nevada mountains. Before he left, Kirk had befriended a recovering drug addict. The father of a young child, the addict in question needed a chance at a new life, and Kirk Brode gave it to him. Providing a place to live, support and friendship when no one else would.

Over time, this person earned more and more of Kirk's trust. He seemed to be on a better path, one where he was a real father and husband and free of the shackles of addiction.

And so, before leaving for their trip. Kirk and his girlfriend entrusted this man to keep an eye out on their home and property during this extended road trip. This was the ultimate honor, true trust, an affirmation for this man that yes. He had value in life. That yes. He was someone worth trusting and worth the effort of friendship.

How did he repay this trust you ask?

He relapsed. Diving headlong into hard drugs once more. When he ran out of money to buy these drugs (we aren't talking weed or coke or anything we're talking intravenous heroin here) this man went into Kirk's home, and proceeded to remove everything of value left there.

The final total is baffling. A motorcycle, power tools, climbing gear, TV's, speakers, computers. Everything. The total amount of property stolen is well north of $20,000. And come to find out, the homeowner's policy. Kirk had only covers up to $1,000 in stolen items.

Most of the stolen items are, as Kirk put it "luxury items". Kirk is too self aware to give those things value. They are indeed just things to him, and while traumatizing, the theft of those alone would be a surmountable challenge.

However, Kirk also had all of his rope rescue equipment stolen. As the preeminent rope rescue expert in Chattanooga, Kirk both trained other rescuers and performed rescues himself. This was done completely pro-bono. If you were to say. Take a bad lead fall at T-Wall and break your back. Kirk would be the one that comes and stabilizes you, gets you on a stretcher and down to an ambulance. And let's say the unthinkable happens, and you fall off of a cliff while hiking around Chattanooga and die. Kirk would be the one to bring your body back to your family.

This theft has severely crippled the capacity for rope rescue in one of the most booming climbing communities in the US. We cannot let this continue.

And so I started a fundraiser. Which you can find
here

If you climb in Chattanooga. Then you should donate. That's it, end of story. This fundraiser will replace the lost equipment, and potentially save your life, or the lives of your friends and loved ones.
Skip a Starbucks trip and throw in $5, or skip a night out and donate $100. We don't care how much you give, everyone has different financial situations. That's understandable, but this is for real, this matters, and if you love the community of climbing in Chattanooga, yet don't give something. Then, well, do you really love this city and it's climbing culture? Or are you just pretending?

Kirk is the man. And too humble to ask for this his own self. Help out, people.

Might make sense to approach the local town and/or fire departments and find out if they'd be willing to fund some of the costs...

Morgan Patterson wrote:Might make sense to approach the local town and/or fire departments and find out if they'd be willing to fund some of the costs...

Kirk is working on that as well. But at the end of the day, this is a Bible Belt, neo-con town that doesn't see a whole lot of value in such things. However the town also possesses a booming climbing community, that. While not adequately represented in the state and local legislature, still has the ability to take the costs onto themselves.

No doubt and good luck... if I traveled south to climb I'd toss in but I don't and im tapped out on new brakes and rotors...

Morgan Patterson wrote:No doubt and good luck... if I traveled south to climb I'd toss in but I don't and im tapped out on new brakes and rotors...

Hey dude, no worries, there are plenty of folks IN Chattanooga that can help. That's what we're looking for!

I just donated even though I'm not a Chattanooga local. Kirk sounds like one of the good guys. Thanks for posting, Dank.

Dave Holliday wrote:I just donated even though I'm not a Chattanooga local. Kirk sounds like one of the good guys. Thanks for posting, Dank.

No. Thank you Dave. Sounds like you're one of the good guys too.

Donating and sharing on my FB

sharyl wrote:Donating and sharing on my FB

Thank you Sharyl, you're a great American

Bump

bump

I've known Kirk for around 40 years, we should all put ourselves in his shoes. He has worked hard to get where he is, and has given his time and money to the community. Just think to yourself what it would be like to lose a lot of your stuff in a blink of an eye, while on a dream trip.

I donated,

Will you?

The Blueprint Part Dank wrote: But at the end of the day, this is a Bible Belt, neo-con town that doesn't see a whole lot of value in such things. However the town also possesses a booming climbing community, that. While not adequately represented in the state and local legislature, still has the ability to take the costs onto themselves.

If Kirk is as you describe and he went out of his way to save people when they were hurting. I would like to believe people in the Bible Belt would jump all over helping him out.

roger fritz from rockford, IL wrote: If Kirk is as you describe and he went out of his way to save people when they were hurting. I would like to believe people in the Bible Belt would jump all over helping him out.

You would think that.

To everyone who donated, hell freaking yes. You are just a great person and I would happily offer any help that I could ever provide to you in return.

Also, if anyone has seen this, and can't spring the extra $$$ for a donation, you can help just as much by posting the fundraiser link on your Facebook page!

I haven't met Kirk, but he sounds like a great guy. bump!