Tuesday, May 23, 2006

Walking the Walk...

On Saturday evening, my mum and I went up to London on the train. We went to Hyde Park and stayed up all night, and went home again the next morning.

We weren’t at a concert, or clubbing, or whatever activities that people stay up all night to do in London (minds out of the gutter people!). We were volunteering to help some wonderful people complete a marathon at night to raise funds for Breakthrough Breast Cancer.

We were Walking the Walk.

Our shift started at 10.00pm, and we stayed up all night, registering volunteers and handing out equipment for the teams out on the road. It was hard work, but great fun. Though it did get a little surreal at 3am… At 7am, we were very tired and very glad to hand over the reins.

The atmosphere was amazing, both from volunteers and the participants. Many people there were doing the walk in memory of someone they had known and loved, and I met a family who’d lost Joy. In her memory, her mother, daughter and niece were volunteering behind the scenes, while her husband and sister were out there in the dark walking. They were obviously a close and loving family, and they all wore badges of the woman they’d lost. It really brought home the importance of charities like this. Not only to raise money for research, but to provide support and hope and a voice to families like this one.

I am enjoyed giving up my time, but I would do it even if I didn’t. What’s one sleepless night of my life, compared to their loss?

2 comments:

Tall Medstudent said...

Interesting history on that walk... and sounds like it was a pretty good time!

So, how's the cat? :)

Anna said...

the cat is now so pregnant she doesn't fit through the cat flap...

the kittens should be born sometime next week. fingers crossed she doesn't pick my bed to have them under!