About The Sir Edmund Hillary Trust
The Trust was set up last year with help from the Government to acknowledge Sir Edmund, celebrate this year’s 50th
anniversary milestone, and raise funds for the continuation of his life’s work.
Until the Sir Edmund Hillary Trust was set up, there was no formal New Zealand entity to honour Sir Edmund Hillary,
emulate his virtues, endorse his passion for the great outdoors, and continue his good works in New Zealand.
The Sir Edmund Hillary Trust has two main focuses in its first year of operation. First, the Trust wishes to commemorate
the 50th anniversary of Sir Edmund’s ascent of Mt Everest.
Summit Day, Thursday, May 29, 2003, is the pinnacle event for these celebrations.
It is a day when all New Zealanders will have the opportunity to strive for the summit of their own personal challenge.
That challenge may be for an individual, a team, or a class of school children. It could be a physical, artistic, work
or a personal challenge.
The Trust has asked New Zealanders to use this special day as a focus for their challenge and include a fundraising
aspect into the day.
The Trust’s second objective is to fundraise and establish an endowment fund. Once the endowment fund has amassed to a
significant level, the Trust will create a grant programme to distribute funds to organisations whose own objectives and
purposes reflect those of the Trust. The criteria for this funding will reflect the relevance to the Trust’s objectives.
In broad terms, the criteria includes environmental, outdoor and humanitarian causes, mostly in New Zealand.
At the end of this 50th anniversary year, The Sir Edmund Hillary Trust intends to continue to fundraise and distribute
money to New Zealanders and to the people of Nepal, through the Himalayan Trust. This will be done according to the
wishes of Sir Edmund, as described by the Trust’s objectives.