Well in excess of 600 adults, children and dogs – the highest ever number in the event’s 17-year history - set out from Chorley and South Ribble Hospital to the beat of Preston’s Worldwise Samba Drummers Band to follow the A6 for just over 11 miles to the Royal Preston Hospital, where they were greeted with medals and a well-earned jacket potato supper!
Dan Hill, chief officer of Rosemere Cancer Foundation and head of charities for Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, said: “A fab night with an amazing turn-out and atmosphere.
“We can’t thank all our walkers, marshals and sponsors enough for making this year’s Walk in the Dark the best ever. We won’t know the total raised for a few weeks yet as a number of walkers had set up online fundraising pages and so have sponsorship to collect but all the signs are looking good.”
This year’s Walk in the Dark was sponsored by Preston-based construction and development company Eric Wright Group Limited with support from bus and coach company Redline Buses, Preston’s Smiths Hire depot and Garstang’s Toilets 2 Go, Preston City Council, which opened its toilet facilities at Fishwick Recreation Ground to walkers, and the city centre’s Holiday Inn Hotel, which did likewise.
Penwortham Zumba instructor Jaime Kirby donated her time and talent to warm-up walkers while members of local service organisations and of St Saviours Church, Bamber Bridge, gave up their time to keep walkers safe, on the right path and refreshed.
Rosemere Cancer Foundation works to bring world class cancer treatments and services to cancer patients from throughout Lancashire and South Cumbria being treated at Rosemere Cancer Centre, which is the region’s specialist cancer treatment and radiotherapy centre at the Royal Preston Hospital, and also at another eight local hospital cancer units across the two counties, including that at Chorley and South Ribble Hospital.
The charity funds cutting-edge equipment, clinical research, staff training and innovative services and initiatives that the NHS cannot afford in order to make patients’ cancer journey more effective, comfortable and stress-free.
