“Beautiful, lyrical, inspiring!”

Janet Solberg, Community Campaigns Coordinator, Stephen Lewis Foundation

We shared our experience at several special events when we came back from climbing Mount Kilimanjaro. Invariably, two of the most frequent questions were, “What’s your next big challenge?” and “Do you have a book to sell?”

As to the first, we haven’t come up with a definitive answer yet but we have some ideas bouncing around in our heads.

As for the second, the Kilimanjaro Grannies have been working hard on publishing a book that talks about their physical, emotional and spiritual journey that led them from a safe and comfortable home in Ottawa, Canada to the slopes of one of the most dangerous mountains in the world. In comparison, it seems like a simple task to publish a book in this day and age.

However, this task is not without its major challenges.

First, we had to decide on the concept for the book. That one was easy as we all agreed that it had to be a coffee table book format. Something appealing that you would be able to either give as a gift or leave on display in your home or office. That way you could also be raising awareness for our cause and possibly even selling more books to raise more funds.

Second, we have six authors contributing to the project. Reaching a consensus on everything and remaining steadfast friends is a testament to our strength of character and determination to succeed. Without compromising our beliefs, we have been able to deliver a quality product for your enjoyment. We want this book to be an inspiration for you, your children and all future generations.

Third, we have thousands of photos that we wanted to share. Paring them down to a dozen or so each was extremely difficult to say the least. We are not professional photographers, but we are professional human beings – the chosen photos are a reflection of a moment in time and say a lot about who we are. With each photo, we exposed a part of our souls to give you a better perspective by sharing our innermost fears, joys and thoughts.

Fourth, we have to raise thousands of dollars to cover the publishing and marketing costs so that all the proceeds can benefit the grassroots organizations fighting to ease the pain of those suffering from HIV and AIDS. In these economic times, sponsorships are more challenging to come by. Please accept our challenge and step-up and make this dream happen – not for us but for those in desperate need.

The book is available in several of the Ottawa and area stores

or

Make arrangements for delivery directly with one of us

or

Send us your order with your name and address to kiligrannies@gmail.com.

Cheques or money orders are to be made payable to the Kilimanjaro Grannies and mailed to: 4197 Armitage Avenue, Dunrobin, Ontario K0A 1T0

Donation – Snowy Owl AIDS Foundation – AUTO123.COM – Thank you for helping to make a difference in the lives of people affected by HIV/AIDS. – Ottawa, Ontario, Quebec