‘Climb for Cancer’ team scale the Himalayas raising over $300,000 for the treatment of two pediatric cancer patients

• ‘Climb for Cancer’ in cooperation with King Hussein Cancer Foundation raise the bar for Corporate Social Responsibility and philanthropic sponsorships in the region 
• Regional companies part of this humanitarian philanthropic initiative 

Philanthropy and corporate social responsibility are on the agenda for numerous organizations and companies yet innovation in benevolence can be seen through the ‘Climb for Cancer’ initiative where all funding received from companies and public donors is directly sent to the King Hussein Cancer Foundation for the treatment of cancer patients the initiative is supporting. 

During the month of November twelve climbers from Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Jordan, Syria, Palestine, United Kingdom and Sri Lanka scaled the Himalayas tackling two challenges; a trek to Everest Base Camp (5,540 meters) and a climb ascending to Island Peak (6,189 meters). The climbers worked on a sponsorship and fundraising campaign to collect donations for the treatment of two underprivileged pediatric patients at the King Hussein Cancer Foundation. 

Ten year old Huda from Iraq and four year old Ahmed from Palestine are suffering from cancer with their treatment requirements exceeding $200,000.  Today the ‘Climb for Cancer’ team initiated a donation drive to allow companies and individuals to support the treatment of these two young children who will receive medical care at the King Hussein Cancer Center.

At the same time a number of corporations from across the region took an avid interest in the initiative and gave their support by donating to the cause directly where the sponsorship payments from the companies went directly to the treatment fund.  Leading the donation comes the Al Waleed Bin Talal Foundation as the exclusive Platinum Sponsor followed by ALBAIK Food Systems.  Other sponsors include:  Gold Category – Whywander, Al Nasr Contracting and Tamer Group. Silver Category – PepsiCo, Medlabs Consultancy Group Jordan, H.O.G Kingdom of Jordan Chapter, iJordan, Virgin Megastore, and Joe Fish, and the Rotary Club of Dubai. 

“The goal of ‘Climb for Cancer’ was to raise awareness and help cover the costs of treating two children suffering from cancer at the King Hussein Cancer Center, requiring $202,000 in treatment costs. Ten year old Huda suffers from Neuroblastama, a nerve and tissue cancer that originates in the adrenal glands.  Four year old Ahmad was diagnosed with Leukemia and his body did not respond to the initial chemotherapy treatment successfully and is therefore now in need of a bone marrow transplant,” stated Nizar Fakhoury, founder of ‘Climb for Cancer’. “We are very proud to say that to date sponsorships and donations exceeded the budget set and a total of $313,598 has been raised. As a result of all the extra funds, a total of five children will now have sufficient funds to receive cancer treatment at the King Hussein Cancer Center” said Fakhoury. 

“We hope to help these five wonderful children and their families by alleviating their financial worries and assist them in covering their treatment costs, so that they can make a full recovery and return to their carefree childhood.  We’re very grateful to the generous donations and sponsorships received from corporations and individuals. This is a great example of benevolence and compassion of our supporters,” he continued.

“Its an honor to support such a benevolent cause that is undertaken by the unique and enthusiastic climbers at the ‘Climb for Cancer’ Organization such initiatives are to be commended for their focus and insuring that donations are being directed to the treatment of the children,” stated Eng. Rami Abu Ghazaleh, CEO ALBAIK Food Systems. 

“Such an initiative is very close to our hearts and we wish the beautiful Huda, Ahmad and all the other children a speedy recovery and for the day for them to be able to enjoy their childhood and be like all other children.  We thank the King Hussein Cancer Foundation and the ‘Climb for Cancer’ Team for dedication,” he ended.

‘Climb for Cancer’ is a non-profit initiative founded by Nizar Fakhoury, that encourages amateur hikers & adventure enthusiasts to climb mountain peaks around the world in an effort to raise money for children suffering from cancer. The climbers fund their own trips and are responsible for covering all their personal costs themselves including tickets, equipment, and hiking expenses. This ensures that 100% of the donations raised goes towards the treatment of the cancer patients they are supporting. 

The King Hussein Cancer Foundation (KHCF) is an independent, non-governmental, not- profit institution founded in 1997 by a Royal Decree to combat cancer in Jordan and the Middle East.  KHCF is the legal umbrella organization responsible for the King Hussein Cancer Center (KHCC), the Foundation’s medical arm. The Foundation is run by a Board of Trustees comprised of a dedicated group of prominent volunteers and chaired by HRH Princess Ghida Talal. HRH Princess Dina Mired is the Director General of KHCF. In addition, Dr. Mahmoud Sarhan serves as the Director General of KHCC.  The King Hussein Cancer Foundation is dedicated entirely to cancer care.