This Rappelling Thing Just Got a Whole Lot More Awesome

As I wrote in a blog post a couple of weeks ago, I'm rappelling down the side of the Westin Hotel in downtown Cleveland on August 6th to raise money for Shatterproof. Shatterproof is a nonprofit organization whose goal is protecting our kids from addiction to alcohol or other drugs, and ending the stigma and suffering of those affected by the disease.

I reached my $1,000.00 fundraising goal the other day, so the Shatterproof Challenge is a definite go for me.

But yesterday I asked my son if he'd be interested in rappelling with me. I thought it would be pretty damn cool if we did it together. Father and son, going all superhero on a 22-story hotel to celebrate recovery. More importantly, his recovery.

And guess what. He said yes.

So now this Shatterproof Challenge event is a whole lot more awesome than it already was. It may seem silly to some, but doing this with my son is going to be an epic, once-in-a-lifetime father-son moment.

The only hurdle now is to raise another $1,000.00 so my son can participate. So if you'd like to help him out, feel free to visit his fundraising page and make a tax-deductible donation, no matter how small. Seriously, every little bit helps.

Here's the direct link to my son's Shatterproof page:

http://support.shatterproof.org/goto/SamDauphinais

As recent as three years ago, my son was still struggling with addiction. The progress he's made is something my whole family is grateful for every single day. To give you an indication of just how far he's come, here's a Facebook status update of his from a few days ago:

"Could not be happier with where I'm at in my life at the moment. ‪#‎elated"

Hashtag "elated"? Yes, ELATED!

I have to confess: When I read that status update, I started crying tears of happiness. I still get teary eyed when I read it now. Thank God my wife and I never gave up on that kid, huh?

I'm counting down the days until our Shatterproof Challenge--as of today there are only 145 to go--and I can't wait to be side by side with my boy, 22-stories up, in Cleveland on August 6th.

Peace.

"Life is either a daring adventure or nothing at all." --Helen Keller

Come August, this will be me and my son. (Photo courtesy of Shatterproof.)