Chef Gabriel Viti at the 18,500-foot summit of Kala Pathar

Gabriel Viti, chef/proprietor of Miramar Bistro, Highwood, Ill., and mountain climber (pictured, above), will climb Mt. Everest to raise money for "Climb for the Keshet Kids," a charity that funds Chicago-area summer camps and activities for children with autism and other developmental disabilities.

Viti is currently situated at at base camp on Mt. Everest, where he will spend the next two months training for the climb on nearby smaller mountains. He is blogging about his expedition at www.humanedgetech.com/expedition/viti/. People can sponsor the climb at one cent per foot, five cents per foot, or make donations of $2,500, $5,000, $10,000 or $25,000. For more information, visit www.keshet.org.