Akash Somashekhar and his friends (Nikhil Balachandran and Diana Balachandran) are a small group of first time climbers challenging Mount Aconcagua in Argentina this December over a seventeen days mountain hike. The group also has a two time cancer survivor himself, Sameer Ali Ahmed which is a strong inspiration for the group that no challenge is ever impossible!

Mount Aconcagua, standing at an astonishing 22,841 ft, is the highest peak in the North & South America and outside the Himalayas. Through the Climb over Cancer Campaign, they are raising money for a Cancer charity, Vasantha Memorial Trust with AID Boston which educates poor women about breast cancer self-examination for early detection, supports treatment of breast cancer and treatment for poor children with cancer in India. 

They have committed to raise $25,000 ($110/100ft) for the cause by the time they reach the summit on Dec 24 after a 17 day grueling climb and they wanted to share this effort with the Boston community to help them achieve this goal. Keerthana Krishnan, Association For India’s Development, Boston chapter president said, “We are inspired by the spirit and the effort put into this grueling 5 month training by Akash and his friends to get ready for the climb. Good luck to them and we hope this endeavor will be greatly supported by our community.” Here is the link to support Akash’s fundraising efforts: 

Akash is a Sharepoint architect and manager at a local biotech company and is passionate about supporting such progressive causes and has also ran a marathon with the TeamAIDAsha program. 

This Climb Over Cancer fundraising campaign also has its own preparation and progress of their journey through the Climb For Cancer Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/ClimbOverCancer

Association for India's Development is a volunteer movement promoting sustainable, equitable and just development. AID supports grassroots organizations in India and initiates efforts in various interconnected spheres such as agriculture, energy, education, health, livelihoods, natural resources including land and water, women's empowerment and social justice. Learn more about the Boston chapter efforts at http://www.aidboston.org. Our volunteers meet every Saturday in MIT from 2 to 4pm and we welcome new energy and volunteers to the group.