The Cogswell Benevolent Trust Awards Grant to Kismet Rock Foundation
The Cogswell Benevolent Trust has awarded a $6,000 grant to Kismet Rock Foundation to provide full scholarships for three students from Manchester to attend the Summer 2012 Program. Kismet Rock Foundation enhances the physical, intellectual, and emotional development of well-functioning but economically disadvantaged children by providing access to the immense value of a comprehensive and multi-dimensional education in technical climbing. Kismet Rock Foundation was selected because of its focus on providing a direct educational service to underprivileged youth from Manchester.
“This generous gift from the Cogswell Benevolent Trust will allow three children from Manchester to experience the challenge of learning how to be safe in the vertical world while developing friendships based on the trust and commitment required of climbing partnerships. We are delighted that the Cogswell Benevolent Trust has chosen to support the cognitive, social, and athletic development of underprivileged children through the Kismet program,” says Brian Post, Kismet Rock Foundation Board Chairperson.
Kismet Rock Foundation emerged out of a desire of the director, Mike Jewell, to offer the same climbing instruction to economically disadvantaged children as he had given to families throughout his guiding career. In 1999, Mike asked a childhood friend, Stanley West, to find four children in southern New Jersey and bring them to New Hampshire for one week of technical climbing instruction. This initial project was accomplished with little money and with much effort on the part of some very kind and generous people. The project received media attention and Mike started Kismet the next year. Kismet was born in 2000, with the support of many friends and organizations.
Kismet’s summer season will launch in July 2012.