Ewa to Everest

Dillon Quitugua is organizing this fundraiser.

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Asian Pacific Islanders need more empowerment than ever before. Growing up, I didn't believe I could be anything. The superheroes were always someone else. Never me, never my family, never my people, never my culture. I plan to change this paradigm. I believe that Asian Pacific Islanders worldwide need a voice and a beacon of light that is pure, true, empowering, and genuine. I have a burning mission in my heart to do something that I believe I am the only person capable of doing:

I will be the first Chamoru to Summit Mt. Everest.

This idea came to me in 2018. It was the scariest, uncomfortable idea I had ever dreamt of. Yet, I knew it would create magic if I chose this path, for I was seeking discomfort. So it led me to live in rural Nepal for the Peace Corps, running over 200 miles in the deserts of Utah, and finally co-founding a brand that I believe in, The Tribe.

I knew that the beautiful moments I had lived were a part of my journey to Everest, and I realized that if more of my people could dream big and put themselves out of their comfort zone, we could change the world for the better. So I was reaffirmed that I must climb this mountain. If an island boy from a lower-middle-class family could climb Mt. Everest, then I could be whatever I set my mind to.

But I need help. A gargantuan mountain lay ahead of me, and it's not just Everest; it's the financial behemoth that precedes it.

The money I need will cover

Professional guide, Nimal "Nims" Purja;
Permits;
Flights;
Equipment;
Food and lodging;
Cover my bills to make this become my reality.

To summit the top of the highest peak as a man from Ewa Beach, a Chamorro man by blood, and a proud Asian Pacific islander, I will show the world that anything is possible.

My Mission: Summit Mt. Everest by 2025 as the first Chamorro to empower Asian Pacific Islanders to be their best versions of themselves.

A dear friend asked me once, "If no one knew you climbed Mt.Everest, would you still do it?"

I thought about this question for a moment, pondering my mission and answered, "Yes, I would."

It's because even if no one knew I summited and I didn't empower the world, I had still empowered myself, and my mission would be complete knowing that I, an Asian Pacific Islander, lived to be my best self.

It's not me against history; it's us against history. You get to choose what side you will be on.