Seven Wonders In Seven Days

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A Manchester businesswoman is raising £777,000 for 7 charities by visiting the new 7 wonders of the world in 7 days.

Core Facts

Most people could only dream of seeing the modern seven wonders of the world in their lifetime. But one Manchester businesswoman has set herself the challenge to race around the globe to visit them all in seven days.
Chi-chi Ekweozor, 30, who lives in Salford, Manchester, aims to raise £777,000 for seven charities, setting off on September 9, 2009.
Earlier this year, Chi-chi, who is the director of east Manchester-based Internet TV and social media consultancy, Real Fresh TV, had just returned from her grandmother's funeral in Nigeria, and read an article in a magazine about a challenge to see the new seven wonders of the world in seven days. And so the idea was born!
Money raised from the super-speed global trip will see an education foundation in Nigeria set up in her grandmother's name, the Jessie Ekweozor Foundation.
The other six charities to benefit are: Alzheimer’s Research Trust, Diabetes UK, Open Doors, British Red Cross, Young Minds and Feed The Minds.
Her grandmother died aged 83 due to complications arising from Alzheimer’s disease.
Widely read comic fantasy author Sir Terry Pratchett OBE sent a signed book for the charity auction and launch event for the trip which took place at Manchester's Living Room on 25th June. The celebrated author best known for his popular and long-running Discworld series of comic fantasy novels sent a signed copy of his children’s novel, A Hat Full of Sky.
Sir Terry Pratchett was diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer's disease in 2007. He is patron of Alzheimer’s Research Trust, one of the charities being supported by the 7 Wonders in 7 Days trip and has sold 65 million books worldwide.
Much of the awareness and promotion for 7 Wonders in 7 Days has been done using social networking sites such as Twitter and Facebook, where it is easy to get the message out.
The trip was inspired in part by journalist and blogger Paul Smith’s successful Twitchhiker challenge in February where he traveled from Newcastle upon Tyne to Stewart sland in New Zealand relying solely on transport donations from people on Twitter.
The seven modern wonders of the world are: Chichen Itza in Mexico, Christ the Redeemer in Brazil, the Colosseum in Rome, Great Wall of China, Machu Picchu in Peru, Petra in Jordan and Taj Mahal in India.

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Quotes

Chi-chi Ekweozor

“The idea came about after I was moved to tears watching Channel 4’s Secret Millionaire programme in April.

I saw an elderly man caring for his elderly wife who suffers from Alzheimer’s and the memories of what my Gran went through before she died came flooding back.”

Chi-chi Ekweozor

“I know it’s a massive physical challenge to see all seven wonders in seven days: I will be crossing multiple time zones in that time but I’m willing to do it if it raises money and awareness for the seven charities I’ve chosen.”

Chi-chi Ekweozor

I wrote to Sir Terry’s agent requesting a signed book for the 7 Wonders in 7 Days charity auction and was blown away by the fact that he sent one!

The copy of children’s novel ‘A Hat Full of Sky’ with Sir Terry Pratchett’s signature on the title page was auctioned for £50 at the 7 Wonders in 7 Days Charity Auction at Manchester’s Living Room on 25th June.