Operation Hat Trick Reaches New Heights on Mt. Everest
Operation Hat Trick has made it all the way to Mt. Everest. On May 29th Andy Penca successfully completed the Tenzing-Hillary Everest Marathon proudly wearing a Maine OHT hat.
The Tenzing-Hillary Everest Marathon is the highest marathon in the world, starting from the Everest base Camp (17,598 ft) and finishing at Namche Bazaar (11,309 ft). The highest point of the marathon is Kalapatthar, 18,200 ft from the summit. This adventurous marathon is conducted each year to commemorate the first successful ascent of Everest by Tenzing Norgay Sherpa and Sir Edmund Hillary on May 29, 1953.
This year Andy Penca partook in the marathon, marking the 60th anniversary of the Tenzing and Hillary climb, wearing his Maine OHT hat from start to finish. Penca works as a General Manager for Cummins, headquartered in Columbus, Indiana, and is on a 3-year assignment in Chongqing, China for his company. A long way from home, Penca has his wife, Laurie and his two sons, Andrew and Landon, with him.
“Operation Hat Trick is thrilled that Andy wore his hat to the Everest summit and has become a real supporter of OHT as a result”, said Dot Sheehan, Founder of OHT. “It’s opportunities like this that give OHT international exposure.”
Friend of Penca, Chip Houghton who along with his son wore their OHT hats along the Great Wall of China while on assignment in China for Liberty Mutual, told Sheehan “He [Penca] was very moved by the OHT organization and what you are doing in memory of Nate Hardy and Mike Koch.”
Operation Hat Trick is a non-profit organization that raises funds for the recovery, education and future employment of wounded service members and veterans through the sale of OHT branded merchandise. Currently 205 colleges and universities across the US, 60 Minor League Baseball teams, and 15 East Coast Hockey League (ECHL) and American Hockey League (AHL) teams have adopted OHT. In addition, Lids, Barnes & Noble and Follett are currently selling OHT hats.
