By Brandon HENSLEY

In the early 1990s, Mike Leum was moved to register for bone marrow donation after hearing about a little boy who was in need. In 1999, he was finally called to donate; this would be to a woman in Indiana who was a perfect match.

There wasn’t any hesitation from Leum to give. He said he found out later that almost half of the potential donors back out when their name is called, but Leum was unwavering, even if he acknowledges the pain of the procedure (“uncomfortable” is how he mildly put it).

Altruism seems to be in Leum’s nature. He’s the one consistently promoting CERT training for potential SoCal disasters, he works with the CV Sheriff’s Dept., and he’s a member of the Montrose Search and Rescue team.

Those countless hours working and volunteering to make the foothills a better place isn’t enough. On June 9, Leum and his son Hunter will swim from San Francisco to Alcatraz and afterward head to Oregon to climb Mt. Hood in the name of cancer survivors and victims. There, Leum will fly flags on the summit for those who have battled cancer, no matter the outcome. It’s called “The Climb to Fight.”

“I enjoy biking and climbing, but I like having a purpose, otherwise it’s a selfish pursuit,” he said. “If I can do it, and raise money for cancer, I’m in.”

Leum is teaming up with the owners of Pure Hair and Skin Lounge and The Montrose Barber Shop, Sara Lee and Lynn Thatcher, to offer coupons (below) with a portion of the proceeds going toward the climb. Leum’s goal is reaching $7,000. He said he’s halfway there.

“It’s fun – a community, small scale event. We’ll see what happens. I’m not quite sure what to expect.”

The money raised will go to the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle, Washington. Hutchinson was a baseball player in the early 20th century who died of cancer at 46. His brother Bill, a doctor, founded the center in his honor.

“Climb to Fight” event manager Lisa Carlson said more than 1,400 climbers have participated in the annual event over the past 21 years and more than $8.3 million has been raised.

“Mike found us on the internet when he was looking for a philanthropic way to give back to his community and to others,” Carlson said. “He is a bone marrow donor himself; he understands the impact private support can make on saving lives.”

Carlson said Fred Hutch scientists pioneered the development of bone marrow transplantation to treat leukemia and other blood cancers.

In the past, Search and Rescue team members joined Leum. This year, to be able to make this climb with his son, gives it more of a purpose, said Leum. According to him, Hunter, 25, is a socially conscious young man who loves to compete with his dad. They both do triathlons, though Hunter is at the point where he “leaves me in the dust,” Leum said.

But Leum doesn’t like leaving those in need behind. It is required that bone marrow donors wait a year to potentially meet the recipients. In 2001, Leum arranged a surprise visit to the woman in Indiana. For years now, they joke that they’re “bad to the bone,” and “joined at the hip” (Leum’s marrow was taken from that area).

They still see each other every year.

“That was probably the best and easiest rescue I’ve ever done,” Leum said. “With Search and Rescue, we train hundreds of hours each year, for decades. For bone marrow, you just have to be there.”

Flags for the climb can be found at Pure Hair and Skin Lounge, 2037 Montrose Ave., and Montrose Barber Shop, 3810 Ocean View Blvd.

To donate to the Leum climb, visit https://tinyurl.com/ycwtm89j.

For more information on the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, visit engage.fredhutch.org.

  Brandon Hensley