Olympus 12 Refuge Trail

[EN] Olympus 12 Refuge Trail is a solo hiking trip that will connect the 12 refuges of Mt Olympus in one route for 10 days in September. This attempt is organized to raise awareness and funds for Hellenic Rescue Team (HRT), a rescue organization in Greece with over 2.000 volunteers actively involved in search and rescue missions in mountains, at sea and in cases of mass disasters, both in Greece and abroad.

Since its foundation in 1993, HRT performs over 1.000 operations every year, rescuing over 300 people whose lives are in danger and, at the same time, provides training sessions to civilians and students about prevention and safety in emergency cases. Its long history includes missions to a number of devastating earthquakes, like the ones in Algeria (2003), Morocco (2004), Pakistan (2005) and Chile (2010). The crowning achievement, though, of all the HRT’s efforts was the earthquake in Haiti in 2010, when its volunteers rescued a 23-year-old man, when all the other rescue teams had stopped looking for survivors. He was the last survivor.

For its operational activities at sea during the major refugee crisis in Greece, Hellenic Rescue Team was honored in November 2016 by the UNHCR with the Nansen Refugee Award, which is the highest honor awarded by the UNHCR. This award was a tremendous honor for volunteerism and at the same time a great legacy for all the organization’s volunteers operating in the rescue stations of HRT in Lesvos, Samos, Kos and Chios, but also to all Greek volunteers who, in their own way, helped during the refugee crisis. Furthermore, HRT received in December 2017 the Mother Teresa Memorial International Award for Social Justice from the India Harmony Foundation, which each year honors organizations and individuals from all over the world, who are active in humanitarian work and contribute to social justice.

In these unprecedented times of the pandemic, HRT needs your help to continue its constant efforts to help every person whose life is at risk under any circumstances, in all natural or urban environments, inside and outside Greece. All funds received in this campaign (minus gifts/shipping costs) will be directed to improve the operational capacity (equipment, maintenance, training) of the organization.

Check out our promo video with subs in ENG, FRA, GER, ITA, SPA