Kievits Kroon MD attempts climb for charity

Kievits Kroon MD, Alan O’Leary will attempt to climb Mt Aconcagua in the Andes Mountain Range in November in order to raise R250,000 for the Kievits Kroon Charitable Trust, which supports a number of local charities and organisations working with children.

O’Leary raised R150,000 for the Kievits Kroon Charitable Trust in 2011 when he first attempted Aconcagua. Difficult conditions meant that he was not able to summit the mountain, which is the highest in the Western and Southern Hemispheres at 6,962 metres and the second highest in the circuit of the Seven Summits. Its greatest challenge lies in the high altitude and low temperatures.

This year he is determined to achieve his goal.

“I was climbing solo then, but this year I will be with a group,” says O’Leary, who leaves for Argentina on 15 November. The climb is expected to take 18 days in total, with day 13 planned for the summit, and two contingency days included.

O’Leary’s chosen charity is the local Academy for Canoe Development at Roodeplaat, which supports impoverished children from the surrounding communities of the Nokeng Tsa Taemane municipality, including Leeuwfontein Primary School, a community school north of Pretoria, most of whom live in informal settlements. At the Academy, the children are given the opportunity to learn how to paddle and those who have the talent to perform on a national and international level are trained and mentored by volunteer coaches.

The Academy has had fantastic success, producing 16 medals in the recent SA Championships and many more in the SA Schools Championships, including Girls U10 Victrix Ludorum and Boys U8 Victor Ludorum; and the first black female athlete to represent SA in Tunisia.

The project is spearheaded by Philip van Tonder who is dedicated to improving the lives of local children. Over the last three years Kievits Kroon has donated R200,000 to the Academy to build clubhouse facilities for the 40 or so children who go there after school to get a cooked meal and have their homework supervised before they go out on the water.

Says O’Leary, “The Academy is entirely dependent on donations and is in urgent need of funds to continue the wonderful work it is doing and build further facilities to accommodate more children.”

Key sponsorship opportunities exist for companies wishing to donate R10,000 or more in support of this climb.

“All the ground costs will be covered by Kievits Kroon,” explains O’Leary, “so sponsors can be assured that every cent of their donation will go directly to the Academy to be used for daily running costs, the building of further necessary facilities, and to cover the costs of sending children to compete in national and international events.”

If you would like to become a Key Sponsor, you can contact Alan O’Leary directly on md@kievitskroon.co.za.

Members of the public are also encouraged to donate smaller amounts. “Every cent counts,” says O’Leary. “We welcome all donations, however small.”

You can read more about the climb for charity and follow O’Leary’s progress on a website which has been set up for this purpose: www.kievitonthemountain.co.za. Donations can be made to the Kievits Kroon Charitable Trust at www.doit4charity.co.za.

Author: Jeannine Orzechowski from JOPR.
More Info link: https://www.kievitonthemountain.co.za
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Images: For high res version/s of One image/s please contact: JOPR.

Alan O’Leary, MD of Kievits Kroon will attempt Mt Aconcagua in November to raise funds for charity Photo: Kievits Kroon

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