As a teacher in Canada, I am lucky enough to be surrounded by children who have a home where they feel safe, receive meals on a daily basis, and attend school where they have the opportunity to learn. The same cannot be said for the children of Gaza.

By now I’m sure everyone knows the statistics. Children across Gaza are not safe. Humanitarian agencies have been using the word famine for some time now to describe the food insecurity suffered by the population there. Along with food, accessing clean water has also become a daily struggle for the nearly 2 million displaced Palestinians. And what of school for the children of Gaza? There has been none since last October and according to estimates, some 86% of school buildings have been damaged.

This is where Save the Children and your donations can make a difference. Myself and the students of David Hoy Elementary School in Fort St James, Canada, have decided to embark on a fundraising challenge to try and raise money for these children.

The students will be supporting me as I attempt to hike the elevation of Mt. Everest (8,849m) nonstop using our own local mountain. Our mountain is known as Mt. Pope and the trail to the top rises up around 850m, meaning that I will have to hike up and down this peak over ten times. This will also add up to over 120 km of trail to be hiked non-stop.

I will be beginning my attempt on June 21, 2024 and will try to provide live updates on how the challenge goes.

Any and all donations will be gladly accepted and greatly appreciated.