‘Expedition Mount Kinabalu’ aimed at raising funds

KOTA KINABALU: A nonprofit organisation, Coalition Duchenne, hosted the 5th Expedition Mount Kinabalu last Saturday to raise awareness and funding for Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy.

Its founder and executive director, Catherine Jayasuria said the expedition was also aimed at honouring those who lost their lives in the Mount Kinabalu earthquake on June 5, and to raise awareness of their cause.

She said the expedition involved four mountain guides who were returning to the mountain trails for the first time since they lost their family and friends in the earthquake, which rocked the mountain and devastated the trail.

“Even though the climbers did not reach the summit due to ongoing trail restoration efforts by the Sabah Parks, they were resolute in completing a modified expedition,” she said in her speech during the Expedition Mount Kinabalu Appreciation Dinner on Sunday night.

She said Coalition Duchenne’s Expedition Mount Kinabalu was the first group, apart from the workers and Sabah Parks staff to tackle the trail since the earthquake.

Present at the dinner were Sabah Tourism, Culture and Environment Assistant Minister Datuk Phang Yuk Ming and Sabah Parks director, Dr Jamili Nais.

Jayasuria also remembered the Mount Kinabalu guides who were supportive of the climb over the past five years, and paid tribute to Robbi Sapinggi — one of four guides who perished in the June 5 earthquake.