Almost 200 local ladiestook to the streets of Stevenage on Saturday 5th June to take part in Keech Hospice Care’s second Midnight Walk in the town. This was a ten-mile sponsored walk for women, starting at the stroke of Midnight from North Hertfordshire College.
Sponsorship money from the event is still being collected, but pledges so far indicate that up to £27,000 could have been raised for the children’s hospice.
The event began with a warm-up session led by Jackie Carrier before a team from Jack FM kick started the walk and the ladies set off around the town.
Many participants entered alongside family, friends or work colleagues. Claire Parker, from Buntingford, took part alongside six of her colleagues from Stevenage company, MBDA. Others from the company took part separately or helped with marshalling the route.
Claire’s daughter, Lucy passed away on the way to Keech back in March 2008, aged just 2. Lucy had battled with Acute Myeloid Leukaemia and, at the time of her death and afterwards, Claire says Keech was there to support her family.
Claire and her colleagues finished the walk in 3 hours, 15 minutes, crossing the finish line all together. Speaking about the night she said: “The organisation of the walk has been amazing. The marshalling was superb and we all felt really safe all the way around. There was a great buzz at the beginning with the fitness instructor doing a warm-up for us all and the hot air balloon and fireworks! It got everyone excited to get going and we were really pleased to finish ahead of our target time. We thoroughly enjoyed it and, for me, walking in Lucy’s memory made it a very special and emotional night.”
Keech Hospice Care would like to thank everyone who took part or helped to marshal the event.
Visit our Facebook site to see more photos from the night - Midnight Walk photo album
There are two more opportunities to join a Midnight Walk and help raise funds for the hospices this September - one in Luton and another in Bedford. Sign up now!
