Summits for Others: Global Health Challenge 2017

Summits for Others…

Greetings!

In early January 2017 I will be doing a fundraising climb of Adam's Peak in Sri Lanka to support the work of The Center for Global Initiatives. (I have been invited to speak at a conference in Colombo and as I have always wanted to take on Adam’s Peak, it seemed Karmic.)

Karmic indeed as Adam's Peak is also known as Sri Pada, or the “sacred footprint” as there is a rock formation near the summit, which in Buddhist tradition is held to be the footprint of the Buddha, in Hindu tradition that of Shiva and in Islamic and Christian tradition that of Adam, or that of St. Thomas. Pretty ecumenical if you ask me.

Anyhoo, Adam's Peak, or Sri Pada, or Sinhalese Samanalakanda - සමනළ කන්ද “Butterfly Mountain,” Arabic Al-Rohun, and also ශ්‍රී පාදය “Sri Paadaya,” Tamil Sivanolipatha Malai - சிவன ொளி பொதமலை, is a tall conical mountain located in central Sri Lanka. It looks like this:

My goal is to be on top of the mountain by sunrise, when the distinctive shape of the mountain casts a triangular shadow on the surrounding plain and can be seen to move quickly downward as the sun rises.

Summits for Others: Global Health Challenge 2017 The Goal

We hope to raise a minimum of $5,000 to buy food, medications, and educational supplies for patients and orphan children (ages 3 to 12 years). We are working to treat malaria, TB, pneumonia, and immunosuppression in collaboration with local doctors, nurses, and staff. We have a particular focus on people with HIV infection and AIDS in the Kilimanjaro Region of the Rombo District.

The parallels

Mountaineering is quite similar to working on global health problems: ~ Both involve big, and seemingly insurmountable tasks, ~ Both take the help of others in order to reach the goal, ~ Both deal with risks, and ~ Both require large doses of planning, team work, concentrated effort, and hope.

Please donate now

I have already paid for all travel costs, so every penny donated goes to the work of the Center, and is 100% tax deductible. Even just $1 makes a difference. One. Dollar. http://centerforglobalinitiatives.org/donateNow.cfm Cheers, and thanks,

Chris Founding Director, http://CenterForGlobalInitiatives.org

The philosophy & Backstory

Someone once said ‘No summit can change who you are, it merely changes the way you see who you are.’ I have learned of the power of the individual and the collective team, the power and the importance of my family and faith, and the many metaphorical climbing and life. After climbing, I bring back the typical trinkets to family and friends, but for myself, I bring back more personal souvenirs of hope, inspiration, and renewal.

I have taken up mountain climbing (as very much the amateur). In doing so, I have set out to do the Seven Summits - reaching the top of the highest mountain on each of the seven continents. I have been fortunate to have summited three of the easy ones so far: Mt. Kilimanjaro, Africa; Mt. Elbrus, Europe (Russia); and Mt. Kosciusko, Australia. I have also made it to the tops of Mt. Whitney (the highest peak in the continental United States), Yosemite’s Half Dome, Mt. Rainer, and with my daughter (Annika) both Inspiration Point in the Grand Teton National Park and Colorado’s Pikes Peak.

Having a penchant for challenges, wanting to help others, having a background in working on international humanitarian aid and medical service projects, and being a tad bit creative and enjoying climbing, I founded summits for others. The idea being with every climb I do, I do so as a fundraiser for The Center for Global Initiatives in order to help to raise not only funds, but also awareness. I have already paid for all travel costs, so every penny donated goes to the work of the Center, and is 100% tax deductible.

The center for global initiatives

The Center is a well-regarded and highly ranked non-profit that is dedicated to training multidisciplinary healthcare professionals and students to provide services that are integrated, sustainable, and have publicly accountable outcomes to areas of need, via multiple, small, context-specific collaboratives that integrate primary care, behavioral healthcare, health systems, and public health, and a context of social justice. We focus on the complex healthcare issues involved in humanitarian emergencies, underserved populations, and relief situations. All activities are grounded in science/evidence-based practice models and best practices. Learn more at http://CenterForGlobalInitiatives.org

Feel free to shop using smile.amazon.com/ch/20-8879339 and Amazon donates to the Center for Global Initiatives, at no cost to you!

Check out our video to learn more about the relationship of claiming and humanitarian work:

https://youtu.be/QT9sxuM9Keo