The sun shone down on our very first Family Fun Walk on the 21st September and what a day it was! The fun 3k walk started with a party atmosphere at the Norwegian Church, Cardiff Bay as the DJ and Curves got the walkers warmed up and ready.
We saw 238 walkers in total and many of those who were taking part were current or former patients of the Noah’s Ark Children’s Hospital. Families, supporters and newcomers to the charity, aged from five-months-old, took part. With each walker asked to raise a minimum of £30, initial figures show they by far exceeded this and we have an expected income of £12,000 once all sponsorship has been collected.
One family who took part were the Lee family, from Heath in Cardiff. Their two sons, Noah, two, and Oliver, 11 months, have both been treated at the hospital. As well as walking for their own children, they were supporting others who are still being treated there.
Dad Richard said: “It’s a wonderful, fantastic place and from our experience of going in there, you really feel as if you’re in the right place and that everything is going to be OK. The staff there are fantastic, it’s absolutely brilliant.
“We thought because of our experiences there and because we have got this great facility on our doorstep, it’s something we can all do together to show our support.”
Two-year-old Georgia celebrated her birthday by completing the walk with her family. She spent her first 15 months in the hospital, with the family making regular trips from Newport.
Her auntie Sarah James said: “It’s giving back to the hospital. She wouldn’t be here today without them.”
We’d like to say a huge thank you to everyone who took part in the walk, those who supported the event with product donations and sponsorship and the 29 volunteers who gave up their Sunday morning to pull together a fantastic event!
