An Athlone native was one of 10 friends who united during during Covid-19 with the sole purpose of scaling Mount Kilimanjaro to raise funds for three charities.
The 10 college graduates discovered their shared love for hiking, which brought them together during Covid-19, and decided to channel this passion into raising funds for various charities and encouraging others to take up hiking.
Recalling the experience, Athlone participant, Doireann Langan, noted that the Mount Kilimanjaro trek, afforded cherished memories that will live for a lifetime.
“We are all so grateful to everyone who supported us and contributed to our fundraising which we hope will help two very worthy Irish charities who help patients and their families here in Ireland while also giving something back to Tanzania, a magnificent country which has given us memories we will treasure for a lifetime. A special mention is due to Expect In Africa Safari, the Tanzania-based company, which looked after us throughout our hike and safari, they were outstanding,” Ms Langan enthused.
From August 7-13 this year, as part of the Get Up that Hill (GUTH ) initiative, the 10 friends tested their physical and mental endurance to the limit, as they undertook their ultimate hike, by scaling 5,895 meters of Mount Kilimanjaro, the tallest free-standing mountain in the world and one of the Seven Summits.
Self-funding the cost of their trip, 100 percent of the funds raised from individual supporters, their employers, and sponsors, is to be divided equally between three charities: the Irish Motor Neurone Disease Association (IMNDA ), Save Elders Tanzania and the Irish Kidney Association (IKA ). With funds still coming in since their expedition in August, to date €11,500 has been raised through their online GoFundMe platform https://www.gofundme.com/f/get-up-that-hill-2022.
The group’s Instagram page @getupthathill2022 includes photos of the group’s endeavours.
