24 students gear up to climb Spanish Pyrenees in support of KHCC patients

AMMAN — Out of its permanent commitment to support underprivileged cancer patients at the King Hussein Cancer Centre (KHCC), the Seven Mountains Initiative launched its Spanish Pyrenees 2020 campaign on November 18 during a press conference held at Zain Innovation Campus (ZINC).

The Seven Mountains Initiative aims at finding innovative strategies to raise funds to support people fighting cancer at the KHCC, with participants climbing seven mountains over a seven-year period with designated targets each year. 

These climbs aim to garner support for KHCC patients in their fight against cancer, which is "a mountain they climb daily".

“The real objective of this initiative is to lend a helping hand to underprivileged KHCC patients with a new team of students each year, with the aim of bringing a positive outlook by raising voluntary contributions to assist in the treatment of cancer,” initiative founder Louay Shomaly noted during the press conference.

Shomaly said that an expedition of 24 students, alongside a group of media personalities and influencers, will climb the Pyrenees, a range of mountains in southeast Europe, with a total donation goal of $100,000, which will be dedicated towards covering the medical expenses of KHCC patients.

Though money will be raised in part through conventional sponsorship packages, expedition participants are also free to “be creative” in bringing in sponsors and supporters, the founder added.

“Every year, we find new ways to attain our goal” Shomaly said.

The initiative was founded back in 2018 to encourage young people to make an impact on their communities and “do the kind of good that changes lives”. 

This expedition's team will begin training next month for their trip in July, which will be led by Jordanian mountaineer Mustafa Salameh, Shomaly said.   

Director General of King Hussein Cancer Foundation (KHCF) Nisreen Qatamish applauded the efforts of Shomaly and the 24 expeditioners, affirming her full support for the initiative.

The cost of cancer treatment is "staggering", the director said, adding that all donations will go exclusively towards easing the burden of medical treatment costs, which can "stretch anyone’s finances thin". 

"This initiative encourages youth from a young age to take responsibility in solving the challenges of modern communities, and Seven Mountains has various dimensions, as it is being implemented not only to collect donations, but to instill important values in [the participants],” Qatamish noted during the press conference.