Captain Dermot O’Toole of the Isle of Man Steam Packet Company has raised £1,000 for the Manx Foundation for the Physically Disabled by completing all 85 miles of the 2008 Parish Walk.
This year marked Dermot’s 14th consecutive Parish Walk and he endured some horrendous weather in order to finish the challenge.
‘It rained for 24 hours solid and was the worst Parish Walk weather ever recorded. One of the advantages of the rain was that it helped to keep my feet well lubricated and so I finished with no blisters!’
For the 14 years Dermot has been taking place in the walk he has raised money for the same charity, the Manx Foundation for the Physically Disabled and over the years has raised over £10,000. All of the money pledged to Dermot is collected from Isle of Man Steam Packet Company staff, and this year the £800 collected was topped up to £1,000 by the Company.
Richard Fowler, Chief Executive of the Manx Foundation for the Physically Disabled said: ‘We are very grateful to Dermot for his endeavours over the years and are always extremely grateful for his contributions to the charity. The money which we have collected today will be earmarked for our special projects fund which we hope will help to improve the lives of physically disabled people on the Island.’
Dermot continued: ‘I really enjoy taking part in the walk each year; it is both a mental and physical challenge for me. I would like to thank all of the members of staff who have donated so generously and the Company for their contribution to the money raised. I am now looking forward to my 15th year and hopefully some better weather.’
David Findlay, Director of Marketing and Communications for the Isle of Man Steam Packet Company concluded: ‘We are always delighted to hear of staff fund raising efforts and we were particularly impressed with Dermot’s energy and dedication throughout the years. The Company was pleased to top-up his sponsor money to £1,000 and I hope that this will help the Foundation to realise some of their planned projects for the future.’
L-R, Richard Fowler, Captain Dermot O’Toole, David Findlay and Hannah Kerruish
