Reaching New Heights
Wakefield, a Dallas attorney, has been involved with Volunteers of America Texas for nine years, serving on the board of directors since 2007. According to Texas CEO Melody Timinsky, he remains involved “because he believes in the programs, the mission and work that we do.”
Wakefield has been hiking for more than 20 years, specifically in the Vail and Beaver Creek areas of Colorado, Utah and Wyoming, as well in the Canadian Rockies. He has always been fascinated with mountains and Mt. Everest, but became even more so after reading "Into Thin Air" by Jon Krakauer, and reading about Sir Edmund Hillary, one of the first mountaineers known for reaching the summit of Mt. Everest.
In May 2011, Wakefield was able to turn that fascination into reality, climbing Mt. Everest from May 30 to June 12, 2011. Depending on lodging and terrain, his group hiked and climbed four to seven miles daily. Over the course of the trip, he lost 10 pounds, due to the exercise and the food they ate. He and his companions ate the local food: lentils and rice, oatmeal, soup and muesli. According to Wakefield, the trek was bitterly cold and a real challenge.
Simply completing the expedition made a strong impression on Wakefield and his companions. It gave him an appreciation of the comforts most of us have in the United States, but also helped him understand and empathize with those who do not enjoy those comforts. During the expedition, he was very cold and often hungry, which served as a reminder of what many of the people we help go through every day of their lives.
