TWO men from Saddleworth embarked on a mammoth walk in northern Spain to raise thousands for a charity in memory of their close friend.
Andy Parkinson and Stuart Illingworth recently walked from Oia to Santiago, along part of the famous Camino de Santiago.
Their picturesque journey spanned more than 140 kilometres, over six tough days.
The pair decided to take on the challenge to raise vital funds and awareness for Myeloma UK – the only charity in the UK that focuses on the incurable blood cancer myeloma and its related condition.
They did so in memory of their friend Iain Heggie, who died in March this year at the age of 70, after bravely battling the disease.
Iain was known to many in the Saddleworth area, being a keen local golfer.
Stuart said: “Iain was a huge part of both ours and many other people’s lives.
“We had been looking for something to celebrate his life that we could do that would also encourage both of us to get fitter and also raise money to try and help research to fight this terrible disease.”
Explaining about the walk, Andy added: “The experience was great, we really enjoyed the challenge of the walk, as well as meeting so many different people and the sense of achievement in completing it. We also got to see and experience a completely different part of Spain.”
They have so far raised nearly £5,500 through their JustGiving page – including Gift Aid.
If you would like to make a donation, you can still do so here: https://www.justgiving.com/page/stuart-illingworth-1714597286521
Every year in the UK, around 5,900 people are diagnosed with myeloma. Mainly affecting those over the age of 65, it accounts for 15 per cent of blood cancers and two per cent of all cancers.
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