Women Walkers raise £57,000 at our first 'Night to Remember' midnight walk!

More than 400 women walked through the night on Saturday 3rd July 2010 to raise a fantastic £57,000 at the first ever 'Night to Remember' midnight walk for Chestnut Tree House children's hospice.

The walk took in a 10 mile route under the stars along the Eastbourne seafront, starting and finishing at the Sovereign Centre. The ladies started arriving at 10pm to register and were entertained by Simon Rose from Sovereign FM, singing duo Encore, a pamper tombola and a chance to have their photos taken by Helen Tinner Photography. After a stirring speech from Eastbourne Mayor, Carolyn Heaps, and a pumping warm up session by Jon Morgan, the ladies, all wearing bright pink 'Night to Remember' t-shirts and carrying special 'Night to Remember' torches, set off on the walk.

There were several Chestnut Tree House Mums walking to raise money for the hospice as a thank you for the care they have received. Families are never charged for the care they receive and for many of them, Chestnut Tree House is a lifeline, giving them the chance to have a break from the demands of caring for a child with a life-limiting or life-threatening illness.

Cherie Tooley was walking in memory of her daughter, Georgia, who died in March aged 14. Other Chestnut Tree House Mums, Anne Lamb, Jackie Hoadley, Marie Baker, Phillippa Farrant, Kay Lewis, Trina Beckett, Kathy Simmons and Stacey Yeend rallied their friends and families to walk with them and support them, raising thousands of pounds for the hospice between them.

The ladies were joined by Squiggles the Squirrel, aka Erica Ham, who walked the entire route in her squirrel costume. There were also groups from Eastbourne hotels, The Grand and the Hydro, solicitors Mayo Wynne Baxter, Legends Hair & Beauty, Cuckmere House School, St Andrews Playschool and a team from the charity's own shop in Langney Road, Eastbourne.

The first ladies back were Nicola Swain and Mandy Richardson who set a blistering pace, finishing the walk in just 2 hours 20 minutes. On their return, each walker received a medal and breakfast.

Said organiser, Joanna Carden, 'We would like to say a huge thank you to all the wonderful women who took part in our first 'Night to Remember' walk for raising such an incredible total. The money they raised on the night is the equivalent of providing a 3 night stay at Chestnut Tree House for 29 families, giving them the chance to have a complete rest, enjoy the wonderful facilities at the house and precious time together. Thank you too to all our marshals and helpers for looking after our ladies and making sure they stayed safe on the route and to the Eastbourne residents for being so supportive of our first event in the town. It really was a 'Night to Remember' and we are already looking forward to next year's event!'