Fund-raising tour by Sir Edmund

Press, 19 November 1982, Page 6

Fund-raising tour by Sir Edmund

Sir Edmund Hillary, now 63, is still spending much of his time working to help the people who in 1953 helped him and Tensing Norgay conquer Mount Everest. Through the Himalayan Trust which he founded in 1961, Sir Edmund has helped the people of Nepal build two hospitals, 22 schools, and numerous medical clinics, bridges, water pipes, and two airfields. This evening in Christchurch he will give Christchurch people the opportunity to help the continuing

work in Nepal at a fundraising talk and film show at the Ngaio Marsh Theatre. With him will be two of his closest Sherpa friends, Mingma Tsering and Ang Doule. Mingma is in charge of field activities for the trust in Nepal. Sir Edmund hopes the trust can raise $30,000 in New Zealand, to which will be .added $30,000 from the New Zealand Government. The trust works with the Canadian Hillary Foundation and the Himalayan Hillary

Foundation of the United States on projects in Nepal. The three groups have been spending a total of between $120,000 and $160,000 a year on projects in Nepal in the last few years. Apart from his work in Nepal, Sir Edmund is an adviser on the design and testing of tents and sleeping bags made in Canada and the United States. He is also considering writing a book in partnership with his son, Peter, on mountaineering in the Himalayas.