Community / ‘Exhausted but really pleased’ – fundraiser reflects on Sumburgh to Lerwick walk
THE ORGANISER of a fundraising walk from Sumburgh to Lerwick on Saturday admits he was “pretty exhausted” the day after – but “really pleased” with how it all turned out.
Alex Armitage was one of six people who did the entire 30-mile journey on Saturday, with 39 folk in total walking part of the way.
With the walk taking place “in solidarity with the people of Gaza”, more than £5,400 has now been raised for the Palestinian Children’s Relief Fund and the Green Olive Collective in Israel.
A group of walkers set off from Sumburgh at 6am on Saturday, and arrived in Lerwick after 9pm.
Armitage, who is a councillor for the Shetland South ward, said “we had such a good turnout, and better weather than expected”.
He said three people opened their homes in Spiggie, Bigton and Wester Quarff for refreshments, whilst the Raba in Lerwick stayed open late to feed the last of the walkers.
Armitage – who walked the route in a pair of hardy Crocs – also thanked Gus Dow and Sally Ritch from the Bigton Weekend Bakery for baking Middle Eastern inspired food and donating proceeds from sales to the fundraiser.
“Those were the carbs that got us over the hill,” he said.
Walking the Southend was inspired by the route of similar distance many Palestinians have taken from Gaza City to Rafah over recent months amid the conflict in the region, Armitage added.
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