Christmas Climb

Our Story

The Wings of Refuge Foundation is a Minneapolis-based nonprofit that has been working tirelessly on behalf of the orphans of East Africa since March 2009. This year, we decided we wanted to do something BIG to raise funds and awareness for the growing orphan problem in rural areas of Tanzania.

And so the Christmas Climb was born. A team of 20 from Wings of Refuge will be traversing Mount Kilimanjaro this December 2011 to raise funds and awareness for the orphans of Tanzania. The climb will take 7 days to the summit, reaching Uhuru Peak just before sunrise on Christmas morning. Immediately following the climb, the team will travel to Lawate, Tanzana to break ground on a brand-new, fully-sustainable orphanage center.

Following the team for the entirety of this trip will be a documentary crew filming not only the adventure of the climb itself, but the subsequent week in Lawate. We hope this will shed light on the conditions facing these forgotten children, and raise awareness for their plight. The documentary will be named "The Christmas Climb: Climbing for Hope".

Why Christmas?

Our team decided that we wanted to spend Christmas the spirit in which it is meant - serving others in need. Drastic? Yes. But it is our way of taking a small stand and choosing not to participate in the commercial chaos that has become the Holiday season.

Together, we are hoping to improve the lives of children who have never had a Christmas dinner, or received a gift wrapped in bright colors. No, the gift we can give them is hope for a brighter tomorrow.

The Impact

The goal of the Christmas climb is to raise $1 per foot of the climb, or approximately $20,000 through sponsorships and pledges. This $20,000 will be used entirely for the construction of our sustainable orphanage center in Lawate, Tanzania.

Our orphanage center will be focused on educations, the building of life skills and equipment for the children's futures. All the children will receive a proper primary school education, medical/dental care and a nutrition program. They will also all have duties around the orphanage center and adjoining agriculture program, teaching them invaluable life skills and instilling in them to give back, and not just expect handouts. In short, we are not merely handing out fish, we are creating fishermen.

What We Need & What You Get

The $20,000 for construction costs will be raised through sponsorships and pledges. All of our team members are paying personally for the Kilimanjaro climb and all gear needed. If you are interested in pledging some feet of the climb, or if you are a business interested in a sponsorship, please fill out the contact form below.

The money donated on team member's individual page will be used for transportation and accommodation expenses during their stay in Lawate while we are doing construction. Any excess funds above and beyond the goal (what a great problem this would be to have!) will be used for construction costs.

Interested in sponsoring a portion of the construction costs?

Name * Business * Phone E-mail*