The KilimanjaRun: The Official Fundraising Challenge Of Rami Rasamny
Since August 4th, Lebanon has been through a series of crises. The Beirut explosion, the lockdown due to COVID-19, and the country’s economy has suffered massively, taking a heavy toll on the Lebanese citizens. Unemployment is on the rise, and the exchange rate has gone down hill, as one US dollar currently equates to more than 10,000 Lebanese pounds. There have been lots of donations and fundraises from abroad however, and a ray of hope has sprung amongst all the chaos. Rami Rasamny, the Lebanese mountaineer and activist, has taken it upon himself to hold a fundraising challenge for his Lebanese brothers and sisters!
Mission Lebanon
Rami Rasamny went on a mission to hike across the 470 km Lebanon Mountain Trail for eight days, to gather donations for the Lebanese Red Cross. In addition, he also organized a fundraising challenge to run to the top of Mount Kilimanjaro, the highest peak in Africa. The challenge, called “The KilimanjaRun,” was organized by the Mission Lebanon initiative, and Rasamny ran up to the peak of Kilimanjaro and back down in 14 hours!
The mission is aimed at raising $5,895; a dollar for every meter of the mountain. So far, it has exceeded the target and has raised $7,520, according to Fund A Hope. This number amounts to 11.38 million Lebanese pounds, which undoubtedly will aid the struggling Lebanese citizens. Additionally, Rasamny is also supporting Chef Tina Wazirian with food distributions towards the poor and those in need in Lebanon as well!
This initiative sheds light on how much Lebanon is going through and there is a shared sense of doom and fear amongst the citizens, but also a great dole of unity and empathy. The Lebanese people are working vigilantly on establishing a sense of success, and helping each other with the economic crash. Through their cooperation and ongoing perseverance, hope prevails!
