Summits for Souls fundraiser more than doubles original goal for Volunteers for Outdoor Colorado
What began as one personal trainer’s ambitious idea became a summer-long challenge that raised $26,875 for Volunteers for Outdoor Colorado.
Valor Elite Training personal trainer Zach Fagerberg created Summits for Souls with a goal of climbing 15 Colorado summits in three months while raising money to support the trails, outdoor spaces and experiences that make Colorado special. When fellow Valor Elite Training personal trainer Alan Sharp heard about the plan, he was immediately ready to join the challenge. Together, the team set an original fundraising goal of $11,500 and invited Valor Elite Training members to pledge a dollar amount for each summit completed.
Fagerberg and Sharp completed all 15 summits in seven climbing days, covering approximately 75 miles and gaining approximately 31,807 vertical feet. At the top of each peak, they photographed the Valor Elite Training flag to mark another summit completed and another step toward their fundraising goal.
The climbs included:
- Mount Bierstadt and Mount Blue Sky: July 4
- Mount Belford, Mount Oxford and Missouri Mountain: July 18
- Mount Bross, Mount Lincoln, Mount Cameron and Mount Democrat: July 31
- Redcloud Peak and Sunshine Peak: Aug. 12
- Uncompahgre Peak: Aug. 14
- Grays Peak and Torreys Peak: Aug. 15
- Longs Peak: Sept. 12
As the trainers continued climbing, pledges and one-time donations grew. By the end of the challenge, Summits for Souls raised $26,875, more than twice its original goal. Fagerberg and Sharp presented the check to Volunteers for Outdoor Colorado on Sept. 18.
“I wasn’t surprised at all when Zach came to me with this idea,” says Tim Anderson, owner of Valor Elite Training. “He saw an opportunity to take on a meaningful physical challenge while giving back to the outdoor places so many of us value. When Alan heard about it, he was all in. Our entire team was cheering them on with every climb, and our members helped carry that momentum through their pledges and donations. It was incredibly motivating to be part of, and I’m proud to have both Zach and Alan on our team.”
The money raised will support trail restoration projects at Mount Democrat and Mount Sneffels, along with Volunteers for Outdoor Colorado’s Cairn Program. The Cairn Program is a nine-month outdoor leadership and environmental stewardship program that gives Front Range high school students opportunities to participate in trail work, habitat restoration, conservation projects and other hands-on outdoor experiences.
“[This is] hands down one of the most inspirational ideas I have seen,” says Volunteers for Outdoor Colorado CEO Chris Nesset. “The creativity to come up with the idea, the passion and drive to make it happen, the ability to share their journey with others and the desire to make a positive impact that engages a greater community while rallying the Valor Elite Community is so impressive. Zach and Alan took their newfound passion for tackling 14ers and turned it into an inspiring effort to give back. The energy, enthusiasm and commitment they and the entire Valor Elite community have brought to supporting VOC’s mission are truly remarkable.”
Founded in 1984, Volunteers for Outdoor Colorado is one of the state’s oldest outdoor stewardship nonprofit organizations. The organization engages thousands of volunteers each year in trail construction and maintenance, habitat restoration, tree planting, fire and flood recovery, park improvements and other projects that protect Colorado’s natural resources.
For Fagerberg and Sharp, Summits for Souls demonstrated what can happen when a personal goal becomes a shared mission. Each summit tested their endurance, but the growing support from Valor Elite Training members and the broader community kept the pair moving toward a result that exceeded every expectation.
