If there is a more virtuous animal than a Saint Bernard, the encyclopedia of fauna has not identified it. These heroic canines venture onto glaciers to save lives, and also serve alcohol to the needy. What human can reach these heights of dedication and libation delivery? Consider Matt Kowalczyk, 38, who climbs icy peaks to help the sick—while making sure folks get the best wine in town.

In late 2007, Kowalczyk's wife, Ellen, gave birth to twins. One of the girls suffered from severe health problems, and day in, day out on his blog, Kowalczyk chronicled her harrowing five months before she passed away from twin to twin transfusion syndrome (TTTS). The condition is more common than sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), but it's relatively unknown. "I didn't know that I was supposed to give up when we found out that the twins had TTTS," he wrote. "I didn't know I was supposed to give up when Emma caught an infection. I just didn't know that people give up on these things."

Brooks Talley, Kowalczyk's colleague, says, "It is the kind of awful thing that, for me, would be devastating and it would cause self-pity for a long time, but his reaction was to start a charity."

Kowalczyk founded Climb for Kids (www .climbforkids.org), a group that raises money for fetal-syndrome support organizations by climbing mountains. Big mountains. In 2009, the group organized five climbs, including Mount Rainier and Mont Blanc, with a goal of raising $100,000. Kowalczyk also sponsored a swing set at a Wallingford park as a tribute to his lost daughter. "It really speaks to the kind of guy he is," Talley adds. "He is getting on with life and using it constructively to help other kids."

Kowalczyk wasn't allowed to know that this article was being written about him—it was a surprise coordinated by the winners of our annual Strangercrombie auction. But based on what they told me, this guy is verifiably awesome, even in his commitment to conquering mountains when others would have given up.

"In his first attempt on Rainier, he did not summit because of altitude sickness and fatigue," says friend Patrick Walters. "He had to wait on the side of the mountain while the group summited and then came down and picked him up." A reasonable person would give mountains the finger—all mountains—but, Walters says, Kowalczyk "changed his diet, started training, learned techniques to help him with the altitude, and he did summit Rainier." He's since climbed to the summit of Mount Hood, Mount Baker, Mount Elbrus, and Mount Kilimanjaro.

Kowalczyk responds to other people's challenges with determination, too. As the first footage of this month's Haiti earthquake came across the airwaves, he went to Twitter—a regular fixture of his life—to write, "Seen 4 different ways to donate, which one is the best/most effective?" Four hours later, another update: "I just made a donation to the Red Cross and Doctors Without Borders. What are you waiting for? Donate now. http://www.tumblr.com/haiti."

For Kowalczyk, a fan of the Steelers and fine libations, the internet is more than disaster relief: Another recent tweet read, "."

But as most folks know, the hardest part about drinking wine—achieving a "wine­gasm," as it were—is buying a wine you actually feel like drinking. Kowalczyk, a certifiable tech geek, has cofounded the company Cor.kz, an iPhone application used by more than 10,000 people to fuel their own steamy wine romance. The application allows users to enter the name of the wine they're considering (or just scan the bar code) to find notes and ratings on each wine from a million wine (s)experts. Moreover, while every other industry is tanking in a lousy economy, Cor­.kz is doing well. iPhone-app development is "about the hottest industry right now in a mostly stagnant market," says Jeremy Wadsack, who has traveled with Kowalczyk to the Black Rock Desert for Burning Man. Kowalczyk's business smarts have kept "lots of people, including me, employed and solvent during this pesky recession," Talley adds.

Whether he's writing about saving kids or delivering libations to the masses, Kowalczyk fearlessly opens his heart on his blog. The first time he tried to climb Mont Blanc, conditions prevented him. "I was heartbroken, to say the least," he blogged. But he made it—seven years later. Afterward he wrote, "I realized that this last mile symbolizes the life I would like to lead after Emma... That last mile can be a bitch, but it is what defines you. Enjoying life on my own terms means that I have to push through that last mile."

Godspeed, Mr. Kowalczyk. And thank you. recommended