Teagan on the West Side classic, Twinkle Toes

Our Hero is an understatement.

Sometimes, here at FOP, when we are in the middle of all the rebolting, the updates, the newsletters, etc. and one more person says, without thinking, "Hey, why haven't you replaced the anchors on...?", we can't help feeling a bit unappreciated. Of course, in our hearts we know that people are aware of our work. The occasional donations and pats on the back from FOP members and the Park Service are greatly appreciated and do go a long way towards keeping our spirits up.

But every once in a blue moon something amazing happens. In this instance, it took the rather surprising form of a 9-year-old girl from Monterey.

Teagan started climbing when she was 4 and has made several trips to the Pinnacles to climb with her father, Charles.

When Teagan and her fourth-grade classmates were assigned to organize fund-raisers for the non-profits of their choice, she researched her options. Instead of going with a well-established, large non-profit group, Teagan decided to focus on local groups related to rock climbing. She finally chose Friends Of Pinnacles, not just because they fit the criteria, but also because they were not well known. Teagan liked the idea of teaching people about an unfamiliar group and what it is doing to help, along with raising funds to support an activity in which she participates.

With a little help from her father (who runs the Sanctuary Rock climbing gym in Monterey) and her mother, Melissa, Teagan planned a bake sale to be held at the climbing gym. Demonstrating cunning market strategy, she put up announcements a few days before the event, and a donation jar, so people would know to bring their appetites and pocket books, while also giving those who could not attend an opportunity to contribute.

The night before the event, Teagan baked dozens of muffins from scratch and prepared several pitchers of lemonade.

The Bake Sale was a huge success and Teagan brought in over $120 on the day. Additional donations brought the total to just over $220.

We here at FOP are blown away. This kind of effort is truly above and beyond. We are sending this special thank you to Teagan with additional thanks to her parents, Charles and Melissa, and all of those gym patrons who were willing to contribute to Teagan's cause.

Charles Schrammel runs Sanctuary Rock Gym in Monterey.