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BRMB Walkathon raises over £400,000 for injured troops
07th June 2010. Posted by Sam Dowling.
A sponsored walkathon in Birmingham has smashed all targets by raising over £400,000 to support injured troops returning from Afghanistan.
The 26 mile BRMB Lookers Vauxhall Walkathon, which took place today (Sunday 6 June), achieved a new event record by raising a total of £405,291 for the Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham Charity (QEHB) to build new rehabilitation and recreation facilities for soldiers who have been everely injured or disabled in the war.
Around 8,000 people took part in the Walkathon, which was brought back by Birmingham-based radio station BRMB after an 18 year break. The event has raised millions for local charities since the first Walkathon in 1983.
Chief Executive BRMB, Phil Riley, said:
“We decided to bring back the BRMB Walkathon this year because it holds such a special place in the hearts of so many people, and today’s event shows why. We had hoped to raise £250,000 for the Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham Charity, but the generosity and spirit of people in Birmingham smashed that target.
“It just goes to show that, despite the economic climate, if people believe in an event and a cause they will dig deep. We’re incredibly grateful to everyone who took part for supporting the return of the Walkathon, making the 2010 event a record-breaker and raising a huge amount of money for such a worthwhile charity.”
Mike Hammond, Chief Executive of the QEHB Charity, took part in the Walkathon and said:
“It was really wonderful to see so many people getting together to show their support for the Charity. We were absolutely astounded when we found out the total pledged on Sunday and would like to thank all those who walked, jogged, ran, marshalled or stood on the sidelines and cheered everyone on. In just one day we are nearly halfway to our goal of being able to create a fantastic new centre for our injured soldiers.”
Mother and daughter Michelle and Claire Scandrett, 15, walked the thirteen miles together and raised over £600 for the QEHB Charity.
Michelle said “Looking around us we can’t believe how many people have turned out to walk – it’s such a fantastic sight to see so many people supporting our troops. We have friends serving in Afghanistan so this is a very important cause to us and we are just delighted to be able to help, whilst getting fit and having fun at the same time!”
For more information on the BRMB Lookers Vauxhall Walkathon please visit www.brmbwalkathon.co.uk.