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[7summits]

HAMILTON, Bermuda--(BUSINESS WIRE)--June 11, 2002--On July 4th, a group of ACE Limited employees and associates will climb to the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania to raise money for The ISIS Foundation, a Bermuda-based charity that assists children in Nepal and Uganda through health and educational projects.

   Each member of the expedition has committed to raising at least $10,000 for The ISIS Foundation and many of the climbers have already exceeded this commitment. ACE Limited plans to match the money raised by the ACE employees who participate in the climb. This match will bring the total raised for The ISIS Foundation to more than $250,000.
   The idea of the climb and the decision to link it with The ISIS Foundation comes from Edmina Bradshaw, at ACE Limited.

   "Climbing Mount Kilimanjaro will be an extraordinary personal milestone," says Bradshaw. "But the true value of this expedition comes in channeling our efforts into a worthwhile social cause. It is extremely gratifying to play a part in The ISIS Foundations' mission to make a positive difference in the lives of children in the developing world."
   "This climb and the fund raising efforts around it are a true test of endurance and commitment," said Brian Duperreault, Chairman and CEO of ACE Limited. "The climb will require the same qualities which are very important to an effective corporate culture; agility, creativity, ethicality, intelligence and strength. The ACE Group of Companies is proud to contribute to such a worthy endeavor."

   The ISIS Foundation is delighted and honored to be the beneficiary of the project, and looks forward to supporting this adventurous undertaking. "We are very excited by this project," said Audette Exel, Chief Executive Officer at ISIS. "The funds generated, along with ACE's generosity, will assist us enormously with our projects, and thus help out hundreds of children who are in very disadvantaged circumstances."
   If you are interested in learning more about the expedition, or would like to sponsor the charity through this project, please contact Simon Albert at Charity Challenge in the UK, on simon@charitychallenge.com.
   The ISIS Foundation is a charitable trust whose mission is to make a positive difference to the lives of children in the developing world, primarily through health and education programs in Nepal and Uganda. The ISIS Foundation is unique in that it is a research driven, focused organization which has all its head office administration costs paid by its `parent' organization - ISIS Limited - a finance and consultancy business, established for that purpose at the same time as the Foundation in 1999.

   The ISIS Foundation works in Nepal and Uganda, in partnership with a range of non-Government organizations, all of whom are screened and monitored closely.. Projects undertaken in Nepal include the building of a school, school hostel, and health post in the mountains, and a range of health and education projects in both the mountains and Kathmandu. In Uganda, projects are based at a rural hospital, and include HIV/AIDS care, the building, staffing and development of a Neonatal ICU, and community based health care initiatives. For further information see www.isis.bm.


   CONTACT: The ISIS Foundation
            Leonie Exel, 441 232 9001
            leo@isis.bm

(from Stockhouse

[7summits]

Well, the climb was successful:

ACE employees conquer Kilimanjaro

By Nigel Regan
(News from 2002-07-19 Edition)

SEVERE altitude sickness, broken ankles, sleeping on rocks — just a regular day on Mount Kilimanjaro.  

Five ACE Bermuda Ltd. employees have just returned from a gruelling climb up the African beast. Along with colleagues from other countries, they managed to raise more than $250m for the ISIS Foundation, which will use the money to develop projects for children in Uganda. Roger Gillett, who works in the company’s business development department, had the most dramatic tale to tell. During the final ascent, a lack of oxygen made him act and feel as though he was drunk. But he carried on, apparently telling his colleagues he didn’t want to disappoint his sponsors.  

Mr. Gillett can’t remember too much of what happened only to say that in retrospect he is eternally grateful to the guides who led him to safety.
The Bermuda team included Edmina Bradshaw, who came up with the idea, Patrick Mitchell, Deborah Smith and Keith White. It took them eight days to reach the summit, which rises above the clouds at 19,340ft.
Ms. Bradshaw said: “We knew each other beforehand, but not to the degree we do now.”

She added: “ We all came to the conclusion that no one can prepare themselves fully for something like this. We didn’t realize how cold it was going to be.”
Mr. White added: “One fellow damaged his ankle and still had to walk two days on it.”
Ms. Bradshaw said: “When we decided to do this climb, we expected there to be paths, but we found the terrain was so rugged, it required our full concentration.”
The team had to get up at midnight and walk with lamps as they embarked on the final ascent. It took so much out of them that some eight hours later when they reached the peak, it was almost an anti-climax. Because of the altitude, there’s not much oxygen so climbers can only stay at the peak for about ten minutes before the lungs start filling with fluid.
Ms Bradshaw took a satellite phone up the mountain and filed daily reports so everyone would know they were safe.
Yesterday the team said that despite the scary moments they’re really pleased they did it. But most of all they’d grateful to their sponsors for making the trip possible.