Fundraiser Launches To Replace Blind Paraclimber's Stolen Gear

ARVADA, CO — A fundraiser was launched Monday in Arvada for a blind paraclimber whose gear was stolen, and by Tuesday, the community had already raised more than $2,200 to help replace the gear.

A recent break-in left Bill Casson, a Blind National Paraclimbing team member and national champion, without his valuable gear — a week before the paraclimbing nationals, according to Arvadan Maureen Beck, who organized the GoFundMe.

"Not only did he lose his climbing items, but he lost his very expensive head set that allows him to hear his caller describe the route and holds, enabling him to compete," Beck wrote on the fundraising page.

"Being a disabled athlete is extra expensive, so I over shot the budget hoping that any excess can go to offsetting the costs of travel to get him to SLC to compete."

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Extra GoFundMe money raised will go to helping Casson come up with funds to cover travel to the first-ever U.S.-hosted Paraclimbing World Cup in Los Angeles in October — you can make a donation here.

Beck said she's "surprised but also not surprised by the generosity of our amazing community."

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