Jessica Biel and friends climb Mt. Kilimanjaro.
Michael Muller
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This January, big name celebrities including Jessica Biel, Emile Hirsch, and Alexandra Cousteau made it to the summit of Mt. Kilimanjaro, the tallest mountain in Africa, all in the name of clean water.
The purpose of the Summit on the Summit expedition was to bring attention to the alarming issue of clean water, or the lack there of, around the world. In fact, 4,000 children die every day from disease and illness related to unsafe drinking water. The expedition brings awareness and funding to the Children's Safe Drinking Water Program (CSDW), an organization working hard to provide clean water to children and their families all over the world.
The week long trek was not without excitement. The expedition group endured a pretty intense blizzard on the fifth day of the trek to the top of the 19,340-foot mountain. They also felt the side effects of extreme elevation, which included headaches, stomach issues, and sleep depravation. In order to have enough energy to make it to the top, climbers eat between 5,000 and 10,000 calories a day, according to People Magazine. But in the end, thankfully, the entire group made it to the top safely. Here's what Biel had to say about the experience:
"I went on this climb with the intention to bring awareness to the clean drinking water crisis. Meeting the people and community in Tanzania, and seeing firsthand how just one PUR sachet can mean the difference between healthy water and contaminant laden water for an entire village, has been an invaluable and eye-opening experience for me."
The documentary of the climb can be seen on MTV on March 14, 9pm/8pm CST.
Not Up For the Climb? Don't Worry, You Can Still Help
While a trek to the top of Mt. Kilimanjaro may currently be out of your reach, you can still help bring clean water to the masses. For every PUR system purchased, the company provides 10 liters of clean drinking water to children in the developing world through CSDW, according to their press release. You can also hit up Facebook to help because for every new PUR fan on its Facebook page, PUR will donate 10 liters of water to CSDW.
More on the Summit on the Summit Expedition:
Celebs and Activists to Summit Mount Kilimanjaro to Raise Water Crisis Awareness
Jessica Biel, Emile Hirsch, and Alexandra Cousteau Climbing Kilimanjaro - Day 5
Alexandra Cousteau, Jessica Biel & Pete Wentz Announce Dow Live Earth 'Run For Water' (Video)
