'From the Lowest Point to the Highest Point for Cancer' expedition to raise $1m for cancer expedition

Slated for April 2013 and targeted at raising $1m for the KHCF's new hospital expansion project, the expedition will be led by Mostafa Salameh, the first Jordanian to reach the summit of Mount Everest and an active advocate for numerous charitable causes.

The initiative's team of 19 prominent Jordanians will undergo intensive training to prepare them for their challenging journey from the lowest point on Earth, the Dead Sea, to nearly the highest point on Earth, Mount Everest Base Camp.

The expedition will begin with a symbolic walk along the shores of the Dead Sea, after which the team will visit the children receiving cancer treatment at the King Hussein Cancer Centre (KHCC) and will collect the children's wish flags that will accompany the team on their journey.

The team will then board a flight to Kathmandu in preparation for their 14-day expedition, during which they will trek to the Mount Everest Base Camp. The expedition will come to an end once the team returns the wish flags to the children of the Amman-based KHCC.

Members of Jordan's 2013 expedition team include team leader Mostafa Salameh; Better Business Solutions' Founder & Director Abeer Qumsieh; Pharmacy1's CEO Dr. Amjad Aryan; Izzat Marji Group's Managing Director Basil Marji; Injaz's CEO Deema Bibi; advisor and consultant Dina Shoman; Dubai-based U.S. Consulate's Cultural Specialist Fayrouz Zghoul; Umniah's CEO Ihab Hinnawi; KHCF's International Development Coordinator Iman Al Majali; freelance writer Jacky Sawalha; Schema Advisory's CEO and sustainability advisor Maali Qasem Khader; social entrepreneur and newthink Theater's Founder & Director Maher Kaddoura; actor and playwright Nabil Sawalha; cancer survivor and language teacher Randa Saifi Shalan; Health Care Accreditation Council's Business Development Manager Ruba Anastas; consultant orthodontist Dr. Samer Sunna; social entrepreneur and international soft skills trainer Dr. Sanaa Mustafa Abdo; musician and composer Talal Abu Al Ragheb; photographer and yoga instructor Zein Salti; photographer Zohrab Markarian.

Commending the expedition's team, HRH Princess Dina Mired, Director General of KHCF, said, "The Lowest Point to the Highest Point for Cancer Expedition is an excellent model of what can be achieved when individuals and groups unite for the benefit of others. It is a noteworthy example of how each one of us - regardless of our capabilities or talents - has the power to support KHCC in its fight against this disease that has impacted the lives of so many. It is through collaborative group efforts such as this that our community can make progress in battling cancer."

In turn, Mostafa Salameh, explained, "The main aim of this expedition is to give hope to the many people, young and old, receiving cancer treatment at KHCC by raising $1m to support the crucial new hospital expansion project currently underway. It is also a way to show how different people from many walks of life can unite for a noble cause and make a difference. We invite all interested parties and organizations to contribute to this initiative by sponsoring all or one of the team members. They can do so by making a financial pledge through the KHCF pledge page."

The new KHCC expansion will be a state-of-the-art facility to complement the existing center and absorb the increasing numbers of cancer patients seeking treatment at KHCC from Jordan and the Arab world.

This project will consist of two new buildings three times the size of KHCC's current premises, thus increasing its capacity to absorb in-patients from 3,500 to over 7,000 per year and increase the number of outpatient visits from 100,000 to over 150,000 visits, as well as reduce the number of patients on the waiting lists.

Donations in the expedition's name can be made in person at the office of the KHCF.