Sisters turns out to support Nepal

On August 26, a high-altitude collapse of a glacier on a slope in the mountains of Nepal triggered what the U.S. Geological Survey called "a catastrophic debris flow and flood" that destroyed infrastructure and swept away at least 1,300 lives, with as many as 5,000 still missing. The disaster hit close to the heart for many in Sisters. Local resident Bruce Mason and his wife Suzanne Pepin have trekked twice in Nepal in an adventurous life, and Mason told The Nugget that there are dozens of people in Sisters who have done the same. Two Sisters educators, Rand Runco and Mark LaMont, created the nonprofit Ten Friends, dedicated to improving lives in Nepal, and have taken dozens of Sisters youth there over two decades. Bonds are strong. No one is closer to the country and its current tragedy than Pema and Nurbu Sherpa, owners of High Camp Taphouse in Sisters. According to a GoFundMe page set up by Thomas Bartlett of Sisters, "Pema's cousin, his [cousin's] wife, and his [cousin's] mother-in-law were lost when the flood swept away their home. His [cousin's] two daughters, only 12 and 15 years old, survived because they were away in Kathmandu attending school. In a single day, they lost their parents, grandmother, and home. Other friends also lost homes and loved ones. These losses [are] not strangers or statistics. The flood hit family, friends, and communities loved by Nurbu and Pema." Photo by Jim Cornelius Hundreds gathered at High Camp Taphouse in Sisters on Friday, September 4, to support a fundraiser for aid to families affected by devastating flooding in Nepal. High Camp held a swiftly organized fundraising dinner on Friday, September 4, to provide aid in the devastated region - and Sisters turned out in force to support the effort. Martha Lusse of Sisters, who has traveled in Nepal and has a strong connection with Ten Friends, was deeply moved by the rallying of the community. "We are all sending larger donations for Nepal to High Camp, World Kitchen or other organization(s)responding to the colossal needs in Nepal," she told The Nugget. "But looking at the people filling the restaurant, all wanting to help Nepal in some way, I got choked up and shed tears..." Photo by Jim Cornelius Nurbu and Pema Sherpa own High Camp Taphouse. Nurbu will travel to Nepal in September to directly deliver funds raised in Sisters and through a GoFundMe effort to support families, including Pema's, who have been devastated by catastrophic flooding on August 26. Donations from the fundraiser and the GoFundMe will be delivered directly to Nepal. Bartlett stated that, "On September 15, Nurbu will travel to Nepal at his own expense and personally deliver financial assistance to families in the affected communities who are facing the greatest need. One hundred percent of your contributions will go directly to those affected. Nurbu will cover his own travel and personal expenses." The GoFundMe page may be found at https://www.gofundme.com/f/central-oregon-stands-with-nepal-direct-flood-relief.