Everesting: Summits for Others 2018

Summits for Others…

Summits for Others: Global Health Challenge 2018

In October, I will be “Everesting.” That is I’ll be climbing the height of Everest, 29,029 feet as a fundraiser for The Center for Global Initiative’s education and medical projects in Tanzania. It’s part of what I call Summits for Others—combining climbing challenges with raising funds and awareness for a great cause.

Everesting…?

The idea is the quest to climb all of Everest’s 29,029 vertical feet in 36 hours, but without the travel to Nepal. We climb a mountain in Vermont with each 1.3 mile long summit climb with a gain of 1,750 vertical feet, once at the summit, you brand each lap into a custom wood board.

Rinse and repeat for a total of 17 roundtrips…!

To learn more, please visit and donate at http://tinyurl.com/Summits4Others

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

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.

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