“Access Hollywood” Producer Michael Lewittes to Climb Mt. Kilimanjaro for Charity

NEW YORK – (December 02, 2008) /PRNewswire/ — Kilimanjaro Education Foundation (KEF) announces Michael Lewittes will be attempting to climb Mt. Kilimanjaro and raise funds for the organization’s educational charitable causes. Lewittes, who is no stranger to Africa, will begin his seven-day trek up the Machame route on December 23. He will be led by one of Tanzania’s most experienced mountaineering guides, Jonas Loiruk Eliau, and his team of porters from KIWISA (www.kiwisa.com).

“Over the past 15 years, I have traveled from one end of Africa to the other, and felt it was time to finally tackle Kilimanjaro,” said Lewittes. “And while that’s enough of a challenge, after learning from a friend about KEF and its projects for underprivileged children in Tanzania, I decided I wanted to end 2008 by reaching Kilimanjaro’s summit for charity, so that the children living at the base of the mountain can one day also reach their goals.”

Roughly thirty percent of climbers who attempt to reach the summit don’t make it, and Lewittes has been improving his chances by working out regularly. He has been spending a few hours a day before and after work building strength and endurance by lifting weights, running, and climbing up to 300 flights of stairs.

Those who wish to contribute to Michael’s cause can donate online via the foundation’s Web site: www.kef4kids.org.

About Michael Lewittes: Michael Lewittes has worked in the entertainment industry for the past 15 years, breaking some of Hollywood’s biggest stories in both print and on television. A graduate of Yale College, Lewittes began his career as Dr. Ruth’s personal assistant and researcher on the Lifetime Television show “You’re On the Air with Dr. Ruth.” He has extensive roots in print journalism, having served as a gossip columnist at the New York Daily News, articles editor at Cosmopolitan magazine, weekend features editor at the New York Post and gossip columnist and news director at Us Weekly. His television career started as an on-air correspondent for E!’s “The Gossip Show” and continues until today as a commentator on a variety of shows. Currently, Lewittes is a producer of NBC’s “Access Hollywood.”

About Kilimanjaro Education Foundation: Kilimanjaro Education Foundation (KEF), founded in 2006, is incorporated in New York State and organized as a 501(c)(3). Recently KEF was featured on the Today show’s “Ends Of The Earth Series.” KEF strives to improve education and to build school facilities for underprivileged children in Tanzania and other countries bordering Kilimanjaro. KEF’s volunteers and directors share in and impart not only the Foundation’s passion for children and education, but also in KEF’s core values of honesty, integrity, creativity and imagination.

“…I handed out more than 1,100 pens and pencils that were donated by right-to-write.org. Later that evening, I ran into a couple of kids in the village who were beaming and still clutching to their new pens.”

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