Ukrainian Canadian completes ascent of Kilimanjaro, continues fund-raising for children of Chornobyl (04/04/04)

Ukrainian Canadian completes ascent of Kilimanjaro, continues fund-raising for children of Chornobyl

by Andrew Nynka

PARSIPPANY, N.J. - Ukrainian Canadian Bohdanna Zwonok reached Mount Kilimanjaro's 19,340-foot-high summit at 7:30 a.m. on Sunday, February 15, completing her goal of climbing Africa's highest peak in order to raise money and awareness for victims of the 1986 nuclear disaster in Chornobyl, Ukraine.

"Some of the most touching support and donations came from individuals within the Ukrainian community: anonymous donors, friends and family. Without them, such a journey would simply not have been as rich and nurturing," Ms. Zwonok said in an e-mail message sent to The Ukrainian Weekly.

"I am very proud and touched by the Ukrainian community's response. It reminded me of the power of solidarity, which is an essential element for humanitarian work," she said.

While Ms. Zwonok and her Canadian climbing friend Vivian Elferink, who accompanied Ms. Zwonok on the climb, have yet to raise their $19,340 goal - a dollar for each vertical foot climbed up the mountain - they have said they are nonetheless determined that they will reach that amount.

The two climbers agreed to split the fund-raising responsibilities equally among themselves, and Ms. Zwonok said that to date she has raised $6,500 of her $9,670 goal, but plans to have raised the entire amount by the end of the year.

The money raised by the Ukrainian Canadian, who turned 51 the day she summited Mount Kilimanjaro, will go toward supporting rehabilitation programs, medical clinics and equipment, relief for orphanages and summer camps in Ukraine. "I have complete confidence in the distribution of funds by CCCF in Canada and by CCRF in the U.S. to the institutions and children whose needs are most pressing," Ms. Zwonok said.

"If it hadn't been for the thought of the children of Chornobyl, reminding myself that I was dedicating my climb to a cause higher than just a sports challenge, that my pain was nothing to compare to what the children are going through, I would have turned back. Putting my pain and discomfort into a wider perspective made me feel that the climb was not difficult," Ms. Zwonok said in an e-mail.

In a diary Ms. Zwonok kept while climbing the mountain and subsequently shared with The Weekly, she wrote, "On each of our four days of upward climbing on Kili, we will be crossing four seasons and climates; on day one it was a tropical ... rain forest. Today, it is slowly turning into a temperate, warm day and cool night. Tomorrow will be a cooler ... day and a cold night, close to the freezing point. And the last day and night will be no less harsh than a freezing arctic environment."

The last leg of the climb to reach the summit started at midnight and took more than seven hours of ascending through freezing temperatures and thin, oxygen-deprived air. Over the course of their 11-day expedition on Mount Kilimanjaro, the two climbers were accompanied by a guide, an assistant guide, a cook and three porters.

Asked if she spoke with other climbers about her reasons for climbing Mount Kilimanjaro, Ms. Zwonok said, "I had a sign sewn onto the back of my backpack before I even left Canada. I wore it every day and was approached and recognized by other climbers throughout the trip. There was talk about me and the children of Chornobyl, about the disaster, also many questions asked, interest spurred by my initiative. I encouraged many of the climbers who elected to suffer in many of their adventurous treks to at least suffer for a humanitarian cause."

The Ukrainian Canadian climber said that once her fund-raising goal has been met she will announce plans for her next expedition, which she has planned for early 2005. "You can count on the next peak being higher, even more difficult to attain."

Ms. Zwonok chose two charity organizations as beneficiaries for any funds she raises during the "Climbing for a Cause" campaign, which will continue through 2004. The Children of Chornobyl Relief Fund (CCRF), which is headquartered in Short Hills, N.J., is the beneficiary of any donations made to the campaign from individuals or businesses located in the United States, while donations made from Canada will go to the Children of Chornobyl Canadian Fund (CCCF).

Individuals interested in donating to Ms. Zwonok's campaign should contact either of the two organizations directly. Interested donors can make donations out to "Kili Project."

CCCF may be reached by e-mail at [email protected] and its mailing address is: CCCF, 2118 Bloor St. W., Suite 200, Toronto, Ontario M6S 1M8.

CCRF may be contacted by e-mail at [email protected] and its mailing address is: CCRF, 272 Old Short Hills Road, Short Hills, NJ 07078.

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