Ash Goel and family to raise money for education as they embark on epic climb

During a 1923 speaking tour, British mountaineer George Mallory was asked why, after two failed attempts, he was determined to summit Mount Everest. “Because it’s there,” Mallory replied.

For his upcoming ascent of Mount Kilimanjaro, Dr. Ashutosh “Ash” Goel has simpler, aspirational reasons: to appreciate life’s opportunities, to inspire his children and others to focus on bigger things than themselves, and to give back to humanity.

“It’s not about me standing on top of a mountain. It’s about inspiring others to take those first steps into a lifetime of learning and looking at things differently,” said Goel.

Goel and his daughter, Amiti, along with his nephew and niece, will set off in August to climb the famous dormant volcano in Tanzania. To mark the effort, they are seeking donations to support childhood education efforts by United Way BCKR and Focus on Tanzanian Communities.

Goel is a senior vice president and chief information officer at Bronson Healthcare. He also serves on United Way BCKR’s board of directors.

His journey to the mountaintop began as he considered his approaching 50th birthday and the fact that his eldest daughter was preparing for college. “I wanted to spend some time with her, not only to bring us closer together but also to do something that’s value-added: setting yourself a goal and achieving something bigger than yourself,” said Goel.

Amiti knows that feeling. As an elementary school student, she helped raise thousands of dollars for a cancer nonprofit. She also shares an interest in supporting education—“enabling education with a purpose,” as Ash describes it.

The draw to Tanzania and Kilimanjaro happened in 2014 when the Goel family visited Olduvai Gorge, one of the world’s great paleoanthropological sites for understanding ancient humans. While there, the family also came to know the Tanzanian people and the disparities they face.

The same is true in Goel’s work with United Way. “Through the lens of United Way, we try to inspire others by leading the way,” he explained. “We want to highlight the optimism of what could be, and not just “what is” our reality.”

Originally, Ash and Amiti intended to tackle Kilimanjaro in 2020. When the pandemic nixed that plan, they shifted to 2021. They have launched a website, climbinghigher.us, with a blog and other details about the trip. If all goes well, they’ll be standing on the summit on August 27.

You can donate directly to the campaign here.

While that’s exciting, inspiring others to reach beyond themselves and to give back—and to support United Way and FoTC—is the greater motivation, Goel said.

“If I enable one other person to do more, to become what they want to be, that will be plenty.”

Want to build your own United Way fundraising campaign? Email getinvolved@uwbckr.org.