August 29th 2018
Amazing fundraising effort for Moulsford’s school charity 2018/19
During the Summer holidays and after many months of training, Max D (Year 6) undertook the enormous challenge of Climbing Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania to raise money for Moulsford’s school charity for this academic year, The Whale Company.
Kilimanjaro sits within the Kilimanjaro National Park, which stipulates a minimum climbing age of 10 years old (without special dispensation). Max was 10 years and 25 days old when he and his father commenced their 7 day journey to the highest point in Africa.
Max made excellent progress during the first 5 days of the climb and settled well in to the daily routine but he suffered from acute Altitude Sickness on during the final ascent. He was not well at all but his determination was solid. He threw up numerous times, feeling increasingly worse the higher he went. His father repeatedly told him that there would be no shame in giving up, but he flatly refused. The two guides were super impressed by his determination. At 0830hrs on Saturday 5th August, he reached the summit at 19,341 feet. Conditions were challenging for the final 7 hour 30 minute assault, with temperatures of -11C. The final day encompassed 20 hours, of which over 15 hours were spent trekking. Max is one of the youngest Britons to climb Kilimanjaro and his mother is now desperately trying to stop him from google-searching Everest Basecamp!
Max’s father is very sorry to say that Max was so spent at the top that he couldn’t even stay for a photo with the Moulsford flag! But in compensation, they took a shot at the exit gate to Kilimanjaro National Park.
For the forthcoming academic year, Moulsford are supporting a soon-to-be-registered charity called The Whale Company. An environmental organization, the Whale Company’s mission is to work with schools and communities towards developing a more sustainable world, with a specific aim to find innovative solutions to the world’s plastic problem. A video showcasing the organisation’s work can be found here https://vimeo.com/270979885 and the link to Whale Company’s website, here: https://thewhalecompany.co.uk/. In 2012, it was estimated that there was approximately 165 million tons of plastic pollution in the world's oceans and a subsequent study indicates that there are more than 5 trillion plastic pieces afloat at sea. One million sea birds and 100,000 marine mammals are killed annually from plastic in our oceans.
Max has set up a Just Giving page and has so far raised just under £8,000 for the Whale Company. If you would like to donate, you can do so here: https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/christian-demorgan
