North Texas family climbs mountain for charity

ALLEN, Texas – Just like Olney’s own Mike Meyers, developer Bruce Heller of Allen, Texas has left an indelible stamp on the business world – and as a humanitarian extraordinaire.

Now, the former architect and his three adult sons are putting their best feet upward, tackling the world’s tallest standalone mountain for the personal challenge – and to raise funds on behalf of ShelterBox USA, and for victims of the Los Angeles-area fires.

Texas has seen its share of giant burns in recent years, particularly northwest of Young County, in the often windswept, fire-prone Panhandle. Last year in late February, a series of wildfires, including the monumental Smokehouse Creek blaze, gobbled up more than a million acres of grassland and took two lives. The Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service put the Smokehouse Creek fence losses alone at nearly $70 million, according to Texas Monthly, with the cattle industry taking an estimated $27 million hit.

Over the years, ShelterBox USA, an outgrowth of the Rotary Club and named for the relief boxes it distributes, has helped nearly 3 million people in some of the world’s worst disaster zones. It hands out basic survival needs: tents, tools, and household supplies. Twice the organization has been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize for its life-preserving largesse.

Heller got involved with ShelterBox USA in 2011 when his Rotary Club of Allen Sunrise, north of Dallas, sponsored two boxes for the people of quake-ravaged Haiti.

Since those early days, the Allen business executive, volunteer firefighter, planning and zoning commissioner, and ShelterBox USA response team lead has faced harrowing foreign obstacles on 10 far-flung deployments.

His ShelterBox USA forays have taken him to Iraq, Kenya/Somalia, the Philippines (three times), Haiti, Fiji, and even down Interstate 45 to Houston. His difficulties in Peru, in response to the 2012 flooding along the Amazon, included the usual flora and fauna battles and arduous ground conditions. But he also encountered unexpected and severe government interference, logistical hurdles, and communication challenges. It took 10 days to get crucial help to those in dire need.

“You lay awake thinking about the people you have seen, that need help, and beat yourself up for not being able to make something happen,” said Heller, recalling his moments of despair back then. “By the end of distribution (though), we were swarmed by the families with hugs and kisses.”

Now, he and the rest of his Heller quad – his married sons from London (Collin) and Singapore (Jason), respectively – have found their way to Nairobi for a rendezvous with their dad and brother Ryan, also of Allen. If all goes as planned, they soon will be in neighboring Tanzania, near the equator, looking up at Africa’s tallest mountain: the imposing, 19,341foot Kilimanjaro.

“It has been on my bucket list for some time,” he said. “I knew I had to go do it when the opportunity came up, and it meant we would also be raising money for ShelterBox USA.”

The Hellers hope their ascent will demonstrate the greatness and necessity of ShelterBox USA’s global mission. For more information or to donate, visit shelterboxusa.org.