Charity adventure organisers Gulf for Good are inviting nationals and expatriates from across the Region to join them on the Everest Base Camp Challenge, between October 11th and 25th. The adventure will raise funds for the Ilam Hospital, which provides healthcare to a remote area in Nepal. It will also support the Child Welfare Scheme Nepal, a charity that enables local communities to help themselves by providing education and health projects.
This will be Gulf for Good’s third expedition to the world’s mightiest mountain and the Charity aims to make this adventure it’s biggest yet. Acting Charity Director, Tricia Evans explains, “In total, we’ve taken 49 people from the Region to Everest [in 2002 and 2004] and raised over AED 532,000 (US$ 144,840). The funds helped build the first community hospital in Ilam, which is in a rural part of Eastern Nepal, and provided it with much needed equipment. We’re pleased to be able to support the hospital again and the orphanage in Kathmandu.”
G4G’s first Everest expedition of the year will be a landmark event for the charity, as they will be taking 20 students and 5 teachers from the English College in Dubai on a tailor-made school challenge to Base Camp. This 15-day adventure will take the school on a journey across Nepal to the foot of Mount Everest and will see many of the students achieving Gold status in the Duke of Edinburgh Awards.
Jon Kendry, Head of the school’s Sixth Form, said, "Conquering Mount Everest is a dream for many people. Gulf for Good is giving our students the opportunity to realise that dream and at the same time raise funds and awareness in support of people less well off than ourselves."
Whilst the English College are still on their adventure, Gulf for Good’s second expedition group will be taking the first steps on their charity challenge. For many, this will be the adventure of a lifetime, trekking in Nepal to the highest mountain on the planet, traversing varied landscapes and natural wonders, past Sherpa villages and Buddhist monasteries and from temperate valleys to snowline regions.
Gulf for Good Chairman, Brian Wilkie who undertook the Charity’s Everest Base Camp Challenge in 2002 said, “It is a tough but exhilarating journey. As difficult as this challenge is, the reward of making it to the Base Camp is nothing short of triumphant. I think it will be momentous for everyone who makes the journey and I’m sure they’ll remember it for the rest of their lives. The adventure will be even more special because it will happen in the knowledge that because you’ve made the journey, you’ve changed the lives of many people for the better.”
Under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed al Maktoum, Gulf for Good organises exciting adventure challenges around the world. Anyone is welcome to participate, provided they can raise the fixed sponsorship amount, have the level of fitness needed and are 18+ years. The Everest Base Camp Challenge is rated as extreme, but no previous hiking experience is necessary and free training sessions will be held. Participants will need to pay a AED1,850 registration fee and then raise a minimum of AED14,000 sponsorship money.
An added incentive to take part in this Gulf for Good Challenge is that the 2007 participant who raises the most funds for charity on any adventure will be given a holiday for two in Nepal courtesy of Himalayan Holidays (G4G’s Everest Base Camp Challenge operator). Additionally, the first 3 people that register for this challenge receive a free Nepal travel guide courtesy of Magrudy’s.
Have you got what it takes? To learn more about Gulf for Good, call +9714 368 0222 or visit www.gulf4good.org. This is G4G’s most popular adventure, so register now to avoid disappointment.
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