Cultural Influencers, Educators, NGOs, Corporate Collaborators Embark On Mt. Kilimanjaro Expedition To Raise Awareness Of Global Clean Water Crisis

LOS ANGELES, Jan. 3, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- SUMMIT ON THE SUMMIT (www.summitonthesummit.com) today officially kicked off its ambitious expedition to Mt. Kilimanjaro in an effort to drive awareness and change to the global clean water crisis. Cultural influencers Justin Chatwin, Mark Foster, Chase Jarvis and Bryn Mooser join Grammy-nominated singer and philanthropist Kenna on the second ascent of Africa's tallest peak. SUMMIT's grueling seven-day, fifty-mile climb up Kilimanjaro is designed to draw attention to the impact of water-borne illness and disease, educate the public about the solutions and resources available and generate a call to action to supporters to help eradicate the problem.

With support from an impressive roster of corporate partners, including HP, Intel, P&G, KLM Royal Dutch Airlines and Eddie Bauer, the climbers boarded a KLM plane bound for Tanzania today. Eddie Bauer First Ascent Guide Melissa Arnot, the only woman to summit Mt. Everest four times, Water.org Director of Strategic Initiatives Chevenee Reavis and Dr. Greg Allgood, the Director of Procter & Gamble's Children's Safe Drinking Water program, will lead the team of clean water advocates and educators on the climb to 19,341 feet above sea level.

A host of celebrity activists committed to improving access to clean water including actresses Olivia Wilde and Dianna Agron will be on the ground supporting and cheering on the climbers via social media. SUMMIT's "Social Media Envoy" will offer insights, advice and encouragement to the climbers along their journey and will also take an active role in educating the public and engaging an army of clean water advocates.

Supporters back at home are encouraged to experience the thrill of the climb by visiting www.summitonthesummit.com. Users will be encouraged to join the online "Summit Seeker" community, a first-of-its-kind, interactive social gaming platform. "Summit Seeker" allows supporters to follow the climbers on their ascent of Kilimanjaro, viewing the climbers' tweets, pictures, status updates and other original content from the mountain in real time. Users are rewarded for their participation in everything from signing a personal water conservation pledge to following along in their own virtual climb, with prizes ranging from HP Ultrabook(TM) devices powered by Intel to a pair of round-trip tickets on KLM.