April 2004

Local trio to climb Kilimanjaro to raise awareness for Children In Crossfire

Three locals are to climb Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania at the end of July to raise awareness for the Children in Crossfire charity.

Kevin O'Leary, 42, from Minnesota, now living in Greencastle, Aine Parkinson, 25, an artist from Sheffield but with relatives in Derry and Moville, schoolteacher Rose Kelly, 38 intend to climb the 18,000 ft African mountain in four days,

"Mt Kilimanjaro is extremely hot at the base, yet the top is covered in snow and I think climbing the mountain will be a huge tangible metaphor for bringing together all the peoples of the world." Says Rose.

Rose believes that the money spent on the militaries of the world each year would be better off being used to lessen the suffering of children in the poorer countries of the Earth. "Since the Second World War there have been over 150 wars and the nations of the Earth have spent between 20 to 35 Trillion on weapons. It is estimated that somewhere in the region of 23 million people, the majority of them civilians, have been killed in these conflicts. In Sierra Leone, for example, one in three children dies before their fifth birthday. That's compared to one in 167 in Ireland."

The trio have been hill-walking most weekends, and climbed Slieve League near Glencolmclille last weekend in preparation for their climb but concede that nothing they do here will make them ready for Kilimanjaro.

"The altitude is going to be like nothing we have experienced here so I think we will take it pretty slowly," adds Kevin, the most experienced mountaineer of the party who as mountain climbed in Brazil in recent years.

The climbers need to raise €4000 to cover the cost of getting there and equipment. Anyone interested in sponsoring them can contact Rose on 9381820 or Kevin on 9381535. They would encourage members of the public to make a contribution to Children in Crossfire, Bank of Ireland Account Number 45939943.

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