By Mary Beth Hislop
Launched on Los Altos Town Crier- 7/9/2008

From Bullis-Purissima to Egan Junior High schools, from Gunn to Menlo high schools to college in Ohio, Caitlin Looney has a new destination: the peak of Mount Shasta.

The Los Altos native and longtime resident hopes to reach the summit of the 14,179-foot mountain with three others on a trip scheduled Thursday through Monday. It's not just a whim.

Looney and friends are climbing for a cause- Climbing for Kids- in support of Bay Area Wilderness Training, an organization that provides wilderness excursions for at-risk and underprivileged youth.

"This is important to me personally, because my success and character come from outdoor activities and participating on sports teams," Looney said. "Imagine how nice it would be for these kids to leave their troubles at school, troubles they may face at home or on the streets to spend some precious days and nights under the stars."
Looney's taking her climb one step farther; she wants to share her trek and the view from the summit with others.

To help reach her fundraising goal, Looney is integrating mobile (MOB) marketing technology from Mozes, a start-up company in Palo Alto where she is the marketing manager. Whether or not participants sponsor her climb, those who join Looney's MOB will get a first-hand account of her climb as she transmits text messages and photos from her BlackBerry from certain milestones on the mountain.

It's going to be tough. Although she's been training for months, Looney loves to hike and rock climb. She's not quite sure how she'll cope with the thin atmosphere.

"I have the skill for it, but I don't know how my body's going to handle it," she said.

Fighting for a cause is not new for 25-year-old Looney. She worked with her mother for the National Charity League, a philanthropic organization dedicated to community service and leadership development through mother-daughter relationships.

"That sort of kick-started my awareness to making a contribution to the community," Looney said.

The death from cancer of several middle and high school friends deeply affected Looney and many of her classmates, she said, launching her involvement with the American Cancer Society.

Working with the Sunbeam Foundation, co-founded by 1998 Los Altos High School graduate Brad Wolfe after friend Sara LaBoskey's death in 2002 from Ewing's Sarcoma, Looney and her mother hosted the "Have a Heart" fundraiser in 2007. They raised $50,000 for the foundation, established to build awareness and fund research for the rare disease.

In 2006 Looney participated in the Relay For Life of Los Altos and Los Altos Hills, walking 24 hours straight and raising $10,000 for the cancer society. And last year, she raised $5,500 for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society running in the San Francisco Nike Women's Marathon.

Through the years, Looney estimates she has raised approximately $75,000 for the causes she believes in. A lot of that support came from family and friends.

"And my friends are the kids I was in kindergarten with Bullis, Egan, they've been great," she said.

Looney supports other causes, too, and recently supported a friend's marathon for Team In Training.

Through sponsorships, Looney is nearing her $3,200 goal for the wilderness training organization, which will give 50 children the opportunity to sleep under the stars, learning about nature, science, teamwork and camaraderie. Every little bit helps.

"I don't think it's about giving big," Looney said. "It takes a village."