Trekking friends raise £9,360 for Rainbows
Two friends who walked for more than 35 hours and clocked up thousands of steps on the Great Wall of China raised £9,360 for Rainbows.
Tracey Hill (50), of Leicestershire, and Yvonne Stevenson (52), of Nottinghamshire, took on the challenge in April. The pair spent five days walking along newly renovated and very old, crumbling parts the famous landmark.
The trip was planned to celebrate Tracey’s 50th birthday and we were the chosen charity. “We were at a ball held for Rainbows and I asked Yvonne if she wanted to join me on this trek,” said Tracey.
“We have been to the ball for the past six years and every year we are in tears listening to the speeches from the parents who have children that go to Rainbows. We are always moved by the positive and happy stories that they share with us. It seemed like the absolute right thing to do when we decided to raise the money for Rainbows.”
The pair set themselves a target of raising £8,000 and along with sponsorship, the friends organised fashion shows, coffee mornings, quiz nights, stalls at a local fete and an auction. Yvonne, who is a teaching assistant in Nottinghamshire, also sold ice lollies after school. They smashed their target and to date have raised £9,360.
Yvonne added: “I really enjoyed the trip. I can honestly say it was the most challenging and amazing thing I have ever done in my life and I feel it has opened my life to things I would never have considered doing before. I want to thank Tracey and my family for their love and support, and look forward to our next challenge whatever and wherever it may be.”
Victoria Brunt, Events Coordinator at Rainbows, said: “On behalf of everyone at Rainbows, I would like to thank Tracey and Yvonne for their amazing dedication. Walking for six to eight hours a day up and down thousands of steep steps is no mean feat and they have raised an incredible amount. Every penny raised goes towards our work in supporting the children, young people and their families who use Rainbows.”
