David Johnson (right) and his son, Tom (left) with their sherpa on Uhuru Peak of Mount Kilimanjaro.

By John Hiscock, past president of the Rotary Club of Hoddesdon, Hertfordshire, England

The exciting thing about Rotary is being able to get to know and serve alongside some fantastic individuals, who help inspire us all to greater things. David Johnson, a member of my club, is one such person, who has captured the imagination of our local community, and inspired members of Rotary throughout our district with his fundraising dedication.

Johnson and his sons, Nick and Tom, trained hard for nine months before spending a week trekking to the summit of three volcanic cones on Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania in late October. The elevation, sub-zero temperatures, and high winds made this a perilous journey. But the support they received from many sponsors gave them the determination to succeed.

The whole Johnston family has been associated with Rotary over the years. David is head of the family business, a manufacturer of automatic gates and architectural metalwork. His sons are members of the firm.

“The idea came about over the last couple of years,” David relayed to me. “All three of us work together so we decided on a group challenge when Tom reached 18. Nick and Tom chose the Noah’s Ark Hospice as their charity, and I chose ShelterBox as a project partner of Rotary based in the United Kingdom.”

We are all very proud of David. More than £7,500 ($12,220) has already gone to ShelterBox for immediate humanitarian aid to survivors of Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines.

• Learn more about ShelterBox
• Read about Rotary’s relief efforts in the Philippines