JAC Member Scales Mount Kilimanjaro Raising Funds for British Charity

  • Published
  • By Peter G. Park, Commander's Action Group
  • JIOCEUR Analytic Center
ROYAL AIR FORCE MOLESWORTH, England --  JIOCEUR Analytic Center (JAC) member Mike Domstead recently scaled Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania to raise funds for the British charity Age Concern which looks after the interests of older people. 

It took Mike six days to reach the 19,340 foot (5,895 meter) summit of the mountain in Kilimanjaro National Park. Kilimanjaro is an inactive volcanic mountain, its peak permanently covered with snow and ice. It is the world's highest free standing, snow-covered equatorial mountain.

Starting out in a warm and green environment, by the time his group of seven reached the top at 6:00 AM on the final day it was minus 5 degrees Fahrenheit (-15 Celsius). Mike has an official certificate from the Park to prove his ascent.

Mike, an MPRI contractor at the JAC noted: "I prepared for the trek with my own personal training program and despite a few headaches from the high altitude, didn't suffer at all, though the nights were very cold."

The charity's deputy chief in Knaresborough, Yorkshire - his wife's hometown - noted ""Everyone at Age Concern Knaresborough was thrilled to hear of Mike's successful ascent of Kilimanjaro and we are extremely grateful to him for choosing to support us in this way. This is probably the most unusual and memorable thing that anyone has ever done to raise funds for us."

Mike explained why he chose to support this charity: "I have seen many worthy charities, but I feel that old age charities are sometimes overlooked," he said. "My wife is a local nurse, so we both appreciate older people and want to give them the respect and dignity they deserve." 

Mike Domstead's achievement is one of the many ways in which members of the tribase community give back to the British communities in which we live.  From village clean ups, to helping at village fetes and working in soup kitchens, to helping run UK Cancer Run for Life events, there are many opportunities to show our support where we live.