4:20pm Tuesday 1st July 2008
By James Wilson
THE spirit of Girl Power was alive as more than 1,500 women began their fundraising walk at midnight.
The 1,503 sponsored walkers filled the arena at Reaseheath College, near Nantwich, at the start of the fourth midnight walk held in aid of St Luke’s Hospice, Winsford.
It was the culmination of months of planning and hard work, which will net the hospice £300,000.
Sponsor money already pledged reached an amazing £241,000, but organisers know from experience that some walkers will bring in more money and when Gift Aid is added it will easily pass the magical £300,000 figure.
Hospice fundraising manager Wendy Gibson, said: “For those who were lucky enough to be part of the amazing night, thank you for helping to make it such a wonderful event.
“The spirit was pure ‘Girl Power’ “Our youngest walker was just 10 years old and the oldest a very sprightly 77 years young, who was joined by two younger generations of her family.”
The number of women taking part this year was three times higher than the 500 who walked in 2005.
It was such a success that 1,091 women walked in 2006 and 1,210 in 2007.
After seeing more than 1,500 turn out on Saturday, the organisers wonders how many more they might attract in 12 months time.
Apart from the walkers, the undoubted stars of the show were the 182 volunteers who completed the many different roles that make the walk as safe and successful.
Stewards manned the route, encouraging the walkers and ensuring that they were safe.
Catering teams cooked thousands of bacon butties and brewed cups of tea.
Other volunteers registered the women and totalled up the pledges on their sponsor forms.
Cheshire FM allowed friends and family members to be part of the night as they were live on air from 10pm to 4am, messages of support were relayed to the walkers, many of whom were walking in memory of loved ones who were cared for at the Hospice.
The lead walker was Sue Kershaw, part of an impressive group of around nine women, who all linked arms as they crossed the line together after 2 hours and 50 minutes.
Tears flowed at the hundreds of other walkers reached the end of their own 13.1 miles challenge Walkers young and old were then wrapped in foil blankets to keep them warm and the field began to resemble a giant silver pool.
Some women still looked as fresh as a daisy whereas others looked like they could not walk another step.
Proudly wearing their medals and eating their well deserved bacon butties, they then stayed to encourage the other walkers across the line. All walkers were safely back to Reaseheath within five hours.
Wendy Gibson added: “Messages of congratulation and thanks have been received all morning here at the hospice, and we are already being asked when next years walk is. Watch this space!”
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