John Serafini - Climbing Higher for Mountains for Miracles

As I write this posting, my friend, John Serafini is leading a team of climbers up the slopes of Mt. Kilimanjaro. I have written in the past about John’s vision for Mountains for Miracles, a non-profit that he started amidst his dual-degree trek through Harvard Business School and Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government. For his pioneering efforts to use mountain climbing as a tool for raising funds to fight cancer in children, John was awarded one of the prestige Dean’s Awards at the HBS Commencement last week. I was honored and proud to be in attendance when John received his two diplomas.

I would like to share with you an e-mail that John sent to me and other supporters last week as he was getting ready to leave for Africa.

Dear Friends of Mountains for Miracles,

Greetings to all!

Our MFM climbing team is set to depart this week for our inaugural expedition to Mount Kilimanjaro! On this 10-day, 19,000 foot endeavor, I will be leading an intrepid band of seven dedicated climbers who are all raising capital to support pediatric oncology research at Boston’s Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.

We are on track to provide a $60,000 donation to Dana-Farber upon the completion of this ten-day expedition.

Please consider contributing to our fundraising drive at my personal fundraising website: www.firstgiving.com/serafini. All capital raised by Mountains for Miracles will support ground-breaking, innovative research at Dana-Farber, speeding the process by which treatments move from the laboratory bench to the patient’s bedside. Please also see the enclosed brochure for additional information about the expedition.

On a personal note, as I prepare to graduate this week from Harvard, I would like to thank each of you for your support and assistance to Mountains for Miracles over the past two years. Without your support, Mountains for Miracles would not exist. Thank you!

My very best to all-

John

Climbing for the Cure,

John Serafini

Director, Mountains for Miracles

“Supporting Childhood Cancer Research Through Epic Mountaineering”

I was pleased to be able to make an additional contribution to celebrate John’s achievements and the launch of the first Mountains for Miracles climb. I encourage you to consider joining me in supporting this noble effort.

Al