Stars Appeal trekkers raise over £80,000 for SDH charity
The team of 33 visited the Lost City of Colombia
This year's team of Stars Appeal trekkers have raised a total of £83,927 between them for the charity at Salisbury District Hospital.
The 33 strong group, aged from 23 to 80, made their way to the Lost City of Colombia - walking up to 12 hours a day for five days.
The rainforest route saw them battle torrential and lots of slippery mud, staying in communal bunkhouse along the way.
The final push to the Lost City included 1,200 near vertical, ancient stone steps to reach their destination.
Salisbury Hospital Eye Consultant Dr Rashi Arora, who took part in the trek and is also a Stars Appeal Hospital Ambassador, said:
“This was a group of ordinary people who became extraordinary together. The trek was tough, you cannot deny that. We are people from everyday walks of life. I’m not a professional trekker, but the group made me feel like one.
“When I saw them so passionate, not just about the trek, but about the Hospital and the Stars Appeal, it made me feel very humbled. It reminded me of the reasons why I became a doctor and renewed my sense of purpose,” adds Dr Arora, who has seen first-hand the difference Stars Appeal has made in the Eye Clinic.
“The Stars Appeal funds a lot of equipment in the Eye Clinic, which helps us provide the best care for our patients.”
In total, the trekkers hiked over 50 miles and ascended over 3,400m – more than the combined height of the UK’s highest mountains, Ben Nevis, Snowden, and Scafell Pike.
The charity’s president, the Earl of Pembroke, has given his thanks to the trekkers and to everyone who has supported them in their incredible fundraising at a celebration evening this week.
Money raised by the trekkers will help the Stars Appeal provide extra care and equipment across Salisbury District Hospital.
Amongst the projects the charity is currently fundraising for are high definition videoscopes for diagnosing head and neck cancer, ‘By Your Side’ sleeper chairs for those staying alongside loved ones in hospital and ongoing work such as the Stars Appeal Wi-Fi, hospital chaplaincy, cancer support and the Stars Appeal Play Assistant on Sarum Children’s Ward.
The funds raised through the Lost City Trek and from previous Stars Appeal treks to Petra, the Grand Canyon, Machu Picchu in Peru, and the Great Wall of China, now give a five-trek total of more than £486,866.
Jayne Prigent, who has completed five treks for the Stars Appeal, said:
“When we first suggested trekking for the Stars Appeal 10 years ago, we could never have anticipated that they’d be such a success, or that they could have raised so much.”
The Stars Appeal is already planning its next trek adventure and the destination will be revealed later in the year.