Press release; for news editors, entertainment/events guides/
columns. (charity fundraiser) .
Sir Edmund Hillary Tribute Dinner - Aug 29, 2008. Sydney.
Featuring the inaugural Sir Edmund Hillary Memorial Address – to be delivered by
Peter Hillary.
Shortly after Sir Edmund Hillary’s historic 1953 ascent of Mt. Everest with Tenzing Norgay, he asked his
Sherpa friends how he could help them. Their answer: “Our children have eyes but still they are blind.
Please build a school in our village”. With that, Sir Ed spent the next 50 years building more than 30
schools and establishing medical centres, environment programs, vital infrastructure and much more,
through his Himalayan Trust.
The Australian Himalayan Foundation – whose directors include Peter Hillary, his son - is committed to
carrying on Sir Ed’s work and building on his amazing legacy.
Our Teacher Training and Quality Education program in Nepal, emanating from a program Sir Ed began, is
again being expanded, at the request of the Nepali people, and will now involve the training and assistance
for more than 400 teachers in 120 schools, directly improving the education and life opportunities of more
than 8,000 kids.
To help raise the $110,000 a year needed for that program, and funds for our other education, health and
environmental programs, the AHF is holding a Sir Edmund Hillary Tribute Dinner, featuring the
inaugural Sir Edmund Hillary Memorial Address , on August 29, 2008, 7.00 pm, at the Sofitel
Wentworth Hotel Sydney.
The event will feature Peter Hillary, two-time Everest summiteer and renowned author and adventurer;
Alfred Gregory, member of the 1953 Everest expedition; an exhilarating performance by internationally
acclaimed tabla player Dheeraj Shrestha; Lincoln Hall, AHF Director and Everest summiteer, and author
of “Dead Lucky: Life after death on Mount Everest”; Andrew Lock, Australia’s leading Himalayan
mountaineer with 13 of the world’s 14 8000m peaks to his credit; Greg Mortimer, the 1st Australian to
climb Everest and K2; Sorrel Wilby, adventurer, author and TV presenter ; and an impressive select set of
fundraising auction items and raffles.
Special tables/seats (hosted by eminent adventurers or other special guests) are $350 per person; and
standard seats @150. Tables or seats for the August 29 Sir Edmund Hillary Tribute dinner can be
P.O Box 553, Crows Nest, NSW 1585. Phone 02 9438 1822 or email:
info@australianhimalayanfoundation.org.au for more info.
Media inquiries: please phone Debbie Dukes on 0408 463 144 or Garry Weare on 0418 404446.
NEWS 
