In 2003 the entire world is celebrating the 50th anniversary of an an event that captured the imagination as few adventures have before or since: an expedition led by Sir John Hunt culminated in the first ascent of Mt. Everest by Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay.

Surprisingly, an event that has been etched in our collective consciousness as the nec plus ultra of human endeavor gave rise to an achievement of far greater importance. Sir Edmund found in his Himalayan adventure and his subsequent celebrity the inspiration and the opportunity to "return the favor" by assisting the people who were his comrades on that climb, and by helping to protect their beautiful homeland. Through his personal efforts, and through the foundations that he helped found in New Zealand, Canada, the United States, and Germany, Sir Edmund built some 30 schools, two airstrips, two hospitals, and 11 village clinics. He has assisted in the restoration of monasteries, instituted scholarship and teacher training programs, and established reforestation projects in Khumbu, Mustang, and the Annapurna region. In every case, Sir Edmund has undertaken projects at the specific request of the local residents.