St Luke’s (Cheshire) Hospice is sending a ‘huge thank you’ to the 1,000 plus women and more than 300 volunteers who came together to be part of the 9th St Luke’s (Cheshire) Hospice Midnight Walk on Saturday 29 June.
Starting this year outside the Main Hall at Reaseheath with a fantastic stage show put together by Redshift Radio, the event was very special with breath taking light effects.
The live stage was based outside but this year the walk was able to take advantage of the enormous marquee which Reaseheath had put up for their student ball and prize giving. The saving to the Hospice was only matched by the greatly improved facilities.
The 1,000+ walkers were a mix of women who were walking in memory of family and friends who had been supported by the Hospice, to groups of friends and colleagues who wanted to be part of a fun night and raise money to support the a great local cause.
The women walked either 6.5 or 13.1 miles from the college through Nantwich up to MMU campus where they were looked after by a team of volunteer staff who ensured they were fed, watered, and in some cases patched up by St John Ambulance before sending them back to Reaseheath.
The women pledged a fantastic £132,000 which with match-funding gift aid and later donations the figure should match last year’s £180,000 and cover the running costs of St Luke’s for three full weeks.
Jane Thompson, St Luke’s Head of Events, said “The Midnight Walk is always a wonderful night. So many loved ones are remembered and people also celebrate their own personal battles with illnesses including Cancer.
“The Walk is more than about raising money; it is about bringing people together, each of whom sets themselves a personal challenge to get round at a time of day when you naturally want to be in bed.
“Every single person on the walk is raising money with someone in mind. On behalf of all of the poorly people and their loved ones who desperately need St Luke’s to be here, THANK YOU!
People from the whole of St Luke’s catchment area walked: Crewe, Nantwich, Winsford, Northwich, Middlewich, Holmes Chapel, Alsager, Audlem, Tarporley, Shavington, Hartford, Bunbury, Weaverham and Wrenbury (to name but a few!)
If you would like to learn more about the walk please go to St Luke’s website www.stlukes-hospice.co.uk and click onto Midnight Walk. If you are not currently the Hospice’s database, please let them have your details so that they can make sure you are iinformed about the 2014 walk in good time.
You can see more of this year’s walk on the Facebook page at St Luke’s Cheshire Hospice.
A selection of quotes for the walkers:
Tina Welsh, Northwich: “We’ve never done the Walk before. We can’t believe how magical Reaseheath looked. The volunteers were amazing at dealing with so many of us registering, and fed us SO well.
“Thank you St Luke’s for getting everyone together and making this the most memorable night of the year.”
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Susan West, Nantwich, commented on the candle lit bag display at Reaseheath where runners were invited to leave messages for loved ones. She said: “Having a chance to remember a loved one in this beautiful way filled us with joy and tears. There were so many wonderful, private yet poignant, messages.
“It was so humbling starting the Walk and seeing them on our route out of Reaseheath.”
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St Luke’s events manager Jane Thompson, commented on one particular group of runners, pictured in image 2 L-R Angela Moss, Margaret Ravenscroft, Cynthia Shaw, Rita Birch and Susan Stubbs.
She said: “This wonderful group of ladies are always full of smiles and so supportive of St Luke’s. Rita Birch (fourth from the right) has done all of the nine Midnight Walks for St Luke’s. She makes it her goal to be the first person to register every time we open a Walk.”
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