Tag: Lap The Map

Superheroes run marathon from Dunfermline to Edinburgh to fundraise for Sick Kids

A team of costume-clad superheroes and film characters have completed an epic 22 mile run from Dunfermline to Edinburgh to bring smiles to children and families at the Sick Kids hospital.

Starting from Glen Gates in Dunfermline, the band of heroes including Spiderman, Buzz Lightyear, Batgirl and Superman ran just under a marathon in full costume, before being piped through the Meadows and finishing up outside the hospital to visit their fans.

The superheroes initially teamed up during lockdown to bring some cheer to Dunfermline locals during difficult times. They are now taking part in the Lap the World challenge – a fundraising race between Edinburgh and Glasgow Children’s Hospital Charities to virtually cover the distance around Scotland and the world’s Equator (50,087km) before 31 July.

The gang have raised an incredible £5700 so far for Edinburgh Children’s Hospital Charity (ECHC), which supports the Royal Hospital for Sick Children. They are part of an army of over 2000 participants that have signed up to help the charities Lap the World.

Buzz Lightyear, aka Andy Spence, says: “I’ve joined Team Edinburgh in the race to Lap the World as I’ve been a supporter of the Sick Kids since 2005, when they saved my daughter Hope’s life.

“Our family is so grateful to the wonderful hospital teams for everything they have done for us. Myself and my wife have clocked up many kilometres over the years by running marathons and half marathons to raise money for them. Hope has also signed up to the fundraising challenge, as without Team Edinburgh, we wouldn’t be Team Spence.

“Our team of superheroes are absolutely thrilled that we have now raised over £7000 for the charity and we hope to raise even more before the end of the challenge.”

Victoria Buchanan, from ECHC, said: “The Lap the World fundraising challenge has been bigger than we could ever have imagined, and who better to have on our team than some of the fastest superheroes on the planet as we race Glasgow Children’s Hospital Charity to the finish line?

“We are so excited to have the superheroes on Team Edinburgh and would like to say a huge thank you to them for running such an incredible distance for the children, families and staff of the Sick Kids.

“Though the heroes are unfortunately unable to visit the wards at the moment, we know the kids would still have been amazed to see some of their favourite heroes and there would have been lots of smiles all round.”

To support the superheroes, visit: https://www.justgiving.com/team/DunfermlineSuperheroes

The Lap the World challenge is running from 6-31 July. To donate to ECHC, visit: www.echcharity.org/donate

NHS heroes compete in fundraising challenge

Glasgow vs Edinburgh: Cities go head To head in Charity Challenge

Two Scottish charities are going head to head with their latest fundraising challenge, in an attempt to raise vital funds for the children’s hospitals they support.

Glasgow Children’s Hospital Charity has teamed up with Edinburgh Children’s Hospital Charity for Lap the Map – a brand new virtual fundraising event which pits supporters from each charity against each other to see who can ‘lap the map’ first.

Lap the Map launched with supporters initially racing in their hundreds to lap the 10,007km-long coastline of Scotland. Due to overwhelming popularity for the event, Team Edinburgh successfully reached the finish line within just a few short days, leading the charities to extend the challenge to take on the world and cover the full distance of the Earth’s equator – a further 40,075km.

An army of over 2,000 participants have already signed up to help each charity lap the world before 31st July.

Both charities are now calling on more people from across Glasgow and the West, and Edinburgh and the East, to sign-up for Lap the Map to raise vital funds, while helping to settle the age-old rivalry over which coast really is the best coast.

Money raised from Lap the Map will directly support NHS staff on the frontline, young patients and their families at Glasgow’s Royal Hospital for Children, and Edinburgh’s Royal Hospital for Sick Children.

NHS staff from Glasgow’s Paediatric Intensive Care, Physiotherapy and Theatre teams, and Edinburgh’s Emergency Department, Critical Care and Occupational Therapy teams have already signed up to help the children they work to support.

Alyson Walker, Consultant Paediatric Anaesthetist, Glasgow’s Royal Hospital for Children said: “Our department and patients benefit so much from the work of Glasgow Children’s Hospital Charity, so ‘Team Scrubs’ are determined to fundraise as much as possible. 

“We’ll be changing our scrubs for running gear at every available opportunity to make sure that Team Glasgow laps the map of the world first. Team Edinburgh better watch out – our fantastic Theatres team take great pride in our work, and this challenge will be no exception!”

Judith Montgomery, Physiotherapist at The Royal Hospital for Sick Children, (above) said: “During this crisis, things have been very different in the hospital. The team at Edinburgh Children’s Hospital Charity have been there every step of the way, so we want to make our steps count for them.

“We’re challenging ourselves to walk as many kilometres as possible to help us Lap the World first and beat Glasgow!”    

The charities teamed up to create Lap the Map as a result of the ongoing postponement and cancellation of mass participation fundraising events across the country due to the Covid-19 crisis. These events would normally raise tens of thousands for each charity, so an alternative virtual event was created to help plug the gaps in fundraising income.

William McGowan, Head of Fundraising, Glasgow Children’s Hospital Charity said: “We rely entirely on fundraising and donations to ensure that we can be there for young patients and their families with our life-changing hospital projects and support services.

“It has been wonderful seeing over 1,000 of our incredible supporters showing such determination with their fundraising, and enthusiasm to beat Team Edinburgh to the finish line – it’s no secret that the friendly competition between Glasgow and Edinburgh has been spurring all our team on!

“And while Team Edinburgh may have one the first leg, Team Glasgow is still determined to come out on top so we’re looking forward to welcoming many more supporters to our heroic team, and continuing to raise vital funds for those children in hospital who need us most.”

Victoria Buchanan, Deputy Director of Fundraising, ECHC, said: “We were blown away by the response we received to the initial Lap the Map challenge, with over 1,000 people and NHS heroes signing up to Team Edinburgh. Our team pulled out all the stops, hitting the 10,007km in just three days and raising an incredible £68,000.

“The target was smashed so quickly though and we know our team still has so much more to give, so we are very excited to have extended the challenge to Lap the World. It’s now game on against Glasgow to make sure Team Edinburgh reaches the 50,082km first to prove we are the best team in the world!

“Though we’re all aware of the friendly competition between East and West, our charities share a common goal – to transform the experiences of children and families in hospital. We hope many more people will sign up to the challenge before 31 July to make their kilometres count for their local children’s hospital this summer.”

To enter Lap the Map with Glasgow Children’s Hospital Charity visit www.glasgowchildrenshospitalcharity.org.

To enter with Edinburgh Children’s Hospital Charity visit www.echcharity.org