Team of Six Libertyville Area Residents to Climb Mt. Kilimanjaro for Charity
Libertyville, IL, May 07, 2013 --(PR.com)-- A group of six Libertyville area residents have come together to raise funds to support education in Tanzania by climbing the 19,341 foot Mount Kilimanjaro, Africa’s highest mountain, over a 7 day period, intending to reach the summit the morning of June 9th, 2013.
Many of the climbers have been involved in building the Stella Maris school for the orphaned and impoverished at the base of Kilimanjaro and run by the Mailisita Foundation, a Libertyville based 501(c)3 charitable organization. The project was designed to gradually add a new classroom each year. This allows the project to grow over time and ensure that the children can continue their studies from one year to the next. Today the school has an enrollment of over 250 students.
Adjacent to the school the Foundation has built the Stella Maris Lodge which is the economic engine that will provide long-term support for the school. The proceeds from the Lodge are used exclusively to pay teachers’ salaries and provide food for the students that attend the school.
“When I learned about the project, I was astounded. Finally, a project that is focused on sustainability, combining both an important social aspect and the means for the project to continue without being reliant on outside contributions,” explains Ben Jennings, General Manager for E-Trip Africa, a division of Worldwide Travel Group, LLC, who is organizing the Kilimanjaro Charity Trek.
The team is raising money to help finish the infrastructure of the school. Each climber has set a fund raising goal with 100% of contributions going directly to the Foundation.
“With the Lodge now open for tourist business, we have had five straight months where the revenue from the Lodge covered all of our school’s expenses; the project is already nearly self-reliant,” said Stan Taylor, project administrator for the Foundation. “This has encouraged us to work hard to raise the final capital needed to finish the construction of the school.”
The challenge of climbing Kilimanjaro is immense, but trivial compared with the everyday struggles of the orphaned and underprivileged children that the Foundation helps educate. "I've marveled at Kilimanjaro for 5 years while working on the Mailisita project; all the while thinking that someday I'd like to climb it. I can't think of a better time than now to do it as a charity climb for the Mailisita Foundation to help give the children a better education and an opportunity to break the chains of poverty," says Libertyville’s Dave Braun, one of the participants.
To learn more about the Mailisita Foundation visit: http://mailisita.org or to learn about the school’s Kilimanjaro hotel visit: http://stellamarislodge.com
For more information about the climbers or to make a contribution visit: http://www.etripafrica.com/#/Mailisita_Foundation_Charity_Challenge/
Many of the climbers have been involved in building the Stella Maris school for the orphaned and impoverished at the base of Kilimanjaro and run by the Mailisita Foundation, a Libertyville based 501(c)3 charitable organization. The project was designed to gradually add a new classroom each year. This allows the project to grow over time and ensure that the children can continue their studies from one year to the next. Today the school has an enrollment of over 250 students.
Adjacent to the school the Foundation has built the Stella Maris Lodge which is the economic engine that will provide long-term support for the school. The proceeds from the Lodge are used exclusively to pay teachers’ salaries and provide food for the students that attend the school.
“When I learned about the project, I was astounded. Finally, a project that is focused on sustainability, combining both an important social aspect and the means for the project to continue without being reliant on outside contributions,” explains Ben Jennings, General Manager for E-Trip Africa, a division of Worldwide Travel Group, LLC, who is organizing the Kilimanjaro Charity Trek.
The team is raising money to help finish the infrastructure of the school. Each climber has set a fund raising goal with 100% of contributions going directly to the Foundation.
“With the Lodge now open for tourist business, we have had five straight months where the revenue from the Lodge covered all of our school’s expenses; the project is already nearly self-reliant,” said Stan Taylor, project administrator for the Foundation. “This has encouraged us to work hard to raise the final capital needed to finish the construction of the school.”
The challenge of climbing Kilimanjaro is immense, but trivial compared with the everyday struggles of the orphaned and underprivileged children that the Foundation helps educate. "I've marveled at Kilimanjaro for 5 years while working on the Mailisita project; all the while thinking that someday I'd like to climb it. I can't think of a better time than now to do it as a charity climb for the Mailisita Foundation to help give the children a better education and an opportunity to break the chains of poverty," says Libertyville’s Dave Braun, one of the participants.
To learn more about the Mailisita Foundation visit: http://mailisita.org or to learn about the school’s Kilimanjaro hotel visit: http://stellamarislodge.com
For more information about the climbers or to make a contribution visit: http://www.etripafrica.com/#/Mailisita_Foundation_Charity_Challenge/
Contact
Worldwide Travel Group LLC
Aurelie Sivadier
302-722-6226
www.etripafrica.com
Aurelie Sivadier
302-722-6226
www.etripafrica.com
Contact
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