Cultural Influencers, Educators, NGOs, Corporate Collaborators Embark On Mt. Kilimanjaro Expedition To Raise Awareness Of Global Clean Water Crisis

LOS ANGELES, Jan. 3, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- SUMMIT ON THE SUMMIT (www.summitonthesummit.com) today officially kicked off its ambitious expedition to Mt. Kilimanjaro in an effort to drive awareness and change to the global clean water crisis. Cultural influencers Justin Chatwin, Mark Foster, Beau Garrett, Chase Jarvis and Bryn Mooser join Grammy-nominated singer and philanthropist Kenna on the second ascent of Africa's tallest peak. SUMMIT's grueling seven-day, fifty-mile climb up Kilimanjaro is designed to draw attention to the impact of water-borne illness and disease, educate the public about the solutions and resources available and generate a call to action to supporters to help eradicate the problem.

With support from an impressive roster of corporate partners, including HP, Intel, P&G, KLM Royal Dutch Airlines and Eddie Bauer, the climbers boarded a KLM plane bound for Tanzania today. Eddie Bauer First Ascent Guide Melissa Arnot, the only woman to summit Mt. Everest four times, Water.org Director of Strategic Initiatives Chevenee Reavis and Dr. Greg Allgood, the Director of Procter & Gamble's Children's Safe Drinking Water program, will lead the team of clean water advocates and educators on the climb to 19,341 feet above sea level. Other educator climbers include Wello Water’s Cynthia Koenig and H20 For Life’s Steve Hall.

A host of celebrity activists committed to improving access to clean water including actresses Olivia Wilde and Dianna Agron will be on the ground supporting and cheering on the climbers via social media. SUMMIT's "Social Media Envoy" will offer insights, advice and encouragement to the climbers along their journey and will also take an active role in educating the public and engaging an army of clean water advocates.

Supporters back at home are encouraged to experience the thrill of the climb by visiting www.summitonthesummit.com. Users will be encouraged to join the online "Summit Seeker" community, a first-of-its-kind, interactive social gaming platform. "Summit Seeker" allows supporters to follow the climbers on their ascent of Kilimanjaro, viewing the climbers' tweets, pictures, status updates and other original content from the mountain in real time. Users are rewarded for their participation in everything from signing a personal water conservation pledge to following along in their own virtual climb, with prizes ranging from HP Ultrabook™ devices powered by Intel to a pair of round-trip tickets on KLM.

"The global water crisis touches everyone, and SUMMIT's primary mission is to educate the climbers and general public to give them the resources and forum to engage with and inspire others," said Kenna. "The gaming and social media platforms are our connection to supporters as we scale the mountain and what will sustain the life of the initiative long after the climb is complete. We are building an army for the cause. Water-borne disease is preventable in the same way Kilimanjaro is climbable -- we just need the allies to affect change."

SUMMIT's goal of raising more awareness around clean water and inspiring action to help the more than 780 million people without access to safe drinking water will reinforce the efforts of organizations like Water.org, SUMMIT's primary educational partner, that are on the front lines working to find solutions to the clean water crisis.  

To find out more about the SUMMIT ON THE SUMMIT, please visit summitonthesummit.com and follow SUMMIT on social media via:

• @SOTSK on Twitter
• summitonthesummit on Facebook
• summitonthesummit on Myspace
• sotsk on Instagram
• sotsk on Tumblr

ABOUT SUMMIT ON THE SUMMIT
Founded in 2009 by Grammy-nominated musician and philanthropist Kenna, SUMMIT ON THE SUMMIT is a transmedia initiative designed to drive awareness and change to the global clean water crisis, while engaging a community through raising awareness, supporting education, inspiring advocacy and activating fundraising.  By taking cultural influencers, educators and high-profile individuals to the top of Mt. Kilimanjaro, Summit is able to support organizations in bringing clean water to the one billion people living without this basic human right. Kenna's first Summit in 2010, which counted actors Jessica Biel, Emile Hirsch, Lupe Fiasco and Isabel Lucas among those who climbed Kilimanjaro, encouraged federal support for water and sanitation programs, which received $300 million from Congress in 2009.  2009 appropriations were at the same level as 2008.

SOURCE SUMMIT ON THE SUMMIT