Pair to raise money climbing African peak
Kevin Shulman, who plans to climb Mount Kilimanjaro to raise money for the LADACIN Network, recently visited with student Alex Zelikovsky of Monroe Township. Photos courtesy LADACIN Network
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For a guy who spends more time watching sports than playing them, Kevin Shulman is about to take an unusual step — make that thousands of unusual steps.
On Aug. 15, Shulman, who has no previous mountain-climbing experience, will begin a trek up Mount Kilimanjaro, the challenging 19,500-foot peak in Tanzania, Africa.
And each step he takes will raise money for a worthy cause.
Shulman, who 17 years ago founded Shulman and Associates, a sales and client development training business headquartered in Iselin, is raising money for the LADACIN Network. With campuses in Wanamassa and Lakewood, LADACIN provides early intervention and educational, therapeutic, social, residential, and support services to 2,500 severely and multiply disabled children and adults.
Shulman, 51, who will be accompanied on the adventure by his best friend, Fred Gesten, a stockbroker who lives in Hollywood, Fla. — who also has no climbing experience — has asked supporters to sponsor them for one penny per foot, or a total of $195. But any donation will be appreciated and will encourage the pair as they make their way up and down the mountain, Shulman said.
The project began with a simple phone call, said Shulman. Gesten told Shulman that in honor of his upcoming 50th birthday, he was planning to climb Mount Kilimanjaro.
"Without even a moment's hesitation, I said, ‘I'm in — when do we leave?'" Shulman said.
Then he went home to Long Branch and shared his plan with his wife, Gina, who was a social worker for the Jewish Family & Children's Service of Greater Monmouth County in the late 1980s, and who has been a social worker at the LADACIN Network for the past 12 years (the couple has a daughter who is an emergency medical technician in Perth Amboy).
"My wife reminded me that I come from a family that has many sports interests; we're big fans of the Yankees and the Jets," Shulman said. "But as far as actually participating in sports activities — well, not so much."
Eight months ago, the Shulmans attended a fund-raising gala for LADACIN. The guest of honor was Joseph Walker, a former Rumson resident who now lives in New York City and whose brother attends the network's adult program.
As a runner in three New York City Marathon events, Walker raised $82,929 for the network through the sponsorship of friends, family members, and coworkers, according to Luisa Vroman, LADACIN's director of development and community affairs.
"I was completely overwhelmed when I learned what Joseph Walker had done," Shulman said. "I turned to my wife and asked if there was any reason why I couldn't turn our climb up the mountain into a fund-raiser for LADACIN. She replied that there was nothing stopping us."
Shulman and Gesten met 27 years ago while Shulman was recovering from testicular cancer and Gesten was still a NJ resident. The two forged a lasting friendship.
The students at the LADACIN Network threw a good-luck party for Kevin Shulman on July 27 at the school's Wanamassa campus. Student Jordan O'Shea of Neptune presented Shulman with a LADACIN flag to take to Mount Kilimanjaro.
Gesten has long been aware of Shulman's desire to help others; after his recovery, Shulman volunteered for the Patient-to-Patient program at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York City, where he is still an active volunteer. In that program, cancer survivors counsel new patients and their families who are about to begin a long and often grueling treatment process.
"I had family and friends — especially Fred — to help me though my ordeal," he said. "Not everyone is that lucky."
Shulman grew up in Essex County, where for many years his parents were simultaneously the heads of the area's men's and women's divisions of B'nai B'rith. Shulman received an undergraduate degree in psychology from the University of Southern California and accumulated graduate credits in industrial psychology at Wayne State University in Michigan.
Neither Shulman nor Gesten has engaged in any particularly strenuous training activities in preparation for the upcoming trip; since January, both have spent time in the gym to build cardiovascular strength and stamina, but a successful climb really depends on genetics and will, Shulman said.
A modern sensibility and technology have not been left out of their plans, however; the climbers will travel with Tusker Trails of Nevada, an experienced and safety-conscious climbing concern. The outfitters will handle cooking tasks, carry equipment, set up and break down the campsites, and monitor the climbers' health throughout the adventure, Shulman said.
Shulman said he also plans to bring along a satellite phone and will establish a voice mailbox that will enable the climbers and the LADACIN community to communicate throughout the climb. All donors will receive the satellite phone number, he said.
"Modern technology is allowing us to keep our supporters close by during the trip," said Shulman. "We'll call in at certain markers and let everyone know how we're doing and what we've seen, and our supporters will be able to leave messages of support and encouragement for us."
That encouragement will be especially welcome as they near the summit of Kilimanjaro; the lack of oxygen at the higher altitudes has felled many climbers, he said.
"We've been told that the approach to the summit will be the hardest thing we've ever done in our lives," Shulman said. "But it's a combination of attitude and willpower, and we know we may have to force ourselves to keep going….
"I know this is a major undertaking — it's huge," he said. "But this may turn out to be one of the most exciting and worthwhile things I've ever done."
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