PROJECT: NFB/Allegra Everest Expedition MY ROLE: Digital Media Producer.

On May 25, 2001 I stood on the summit of Mt. Everest with blind climber Erik Weihenmayer and 9 other of my good friends. It was the culmination of a multi-year team effort and life long dream for many. As the Digital Media Producer for the team my role encompassed everything from sponsor communication and outreach to expedition content distribution to satellite phone technician.

Aventis’ agency, Cohn & Wolfe, mounted a media campaign that was ultimately awarded the Healthcare Campaign of the Year by PR Week. Farther than the Eye Can See; a film about the expedition produced by Serac Films and Outside Television, went on to win over a dozen international film festival awards.

Primary sponsors were Allegra (Aventis) and National Federation of the Blind. Secondary sponsors included Mountain Hardwear, Osprey Packs, Comspec DPI, Wilkens Weather Technologies, Sterling Rope, Benchmade, Cascade Designs, Smartwool, Turtle Fur, Costa Del Mar, Arizona Mountaineering Club, Reason, Trango, CampTime,Leki, Gamma Seal, Cowgirl, Chums, American Innotek, and the Blind Industries Services of Maryland.

Sponsor logos were sewn, pasted, and printed on every available surface to ensure visibility. Daily photo and audio dispatches were sent from Everest base camp to the US via satellite phone and published on a site created specifically for the expedition. My images of Erik, our team and our sponsors landed a cover and a seven page spread in Time Magazine before we even made it back to the states!