Stalybridge Group's 70 Mile Memory Walk
A group from Stalybridge has taken on a mammoth walk in memory of a beloved father to raise vital funds for cancer research.
Stephen and Annette Rawson were joined by Stephen’s brother Paul Rawson and colleague John Turner to traverse 70 miles in memory of Stephen and Paul’s father Peter, who passed from pancreatic cancer in October of last year.
Together the group have raised over £4,800 for North West Cancer Research.
During his life, Peter was a Civil Engineer for Tameside Council and was instrumental in rerouting the Huddersfield Narrow Canal back through to the centre of Stalybridge and the regeneration of Ashton-Under-Lyne Market Hall following a fire in 2004.
To mark this achievement, the group will take on the South Pennine Canal Ring, covering five different canal networks and just over 70 miles over the course of two days, with an overnight stop at Hebden Bridge. The route will mark a significant beginning and end point in Stalybridge alongside a portion of the canal that Peter and his team worked hard to restore over twenty years ago.
Stephen said: “My dad was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in May last year and sadly passed away in October at only 69 years old. He cared a great deal about his hometown of Stalybridge and in retirement, he remained involved with the Canal Society and became Chairman of the Stalybridge Town Team, so
it feels only fitting that we walked a route
on the canal.
“After a frantic start to our journey the blisters started at around mile 28 and we really wondered if we would be able to continue through the pain the next day. We were spurred on by the fact that we were raising money for such a worthy cause, and thankfully we were joined by friends and colleagues almost every step of the way, which distracted us from the extreme pain in our feet!
“We’d like to thank everyone who joined us at various stages of the walk, including friends of ours and of my Dad. Without their encouragement and support the experience would have been much less enjoyable and far more difficult. The sight of my Dad’s colleagues waiting for us around seven miles from the end, clapping as we passed under a bridge are far more fondly remembered.
“Our feet have since, thankfully, recovered and returned to normal. While the experience was painful and a huge challenge, it was nothing compared to the battle that people are going through everyday when suffering with cancer.”
You can still support the group at: https://www.justgiving.com/page/annette-rawson