Charities receive Highland Cross funds as 2022 event brings total raised to £5.5 million with Ross-shire cause amongst beneficiaries
Register for free to read more of the latest local news. It's easy and will only take a moment.
Charities across the region have been handed a significant cash boost thanks to the return of the Highland Cross.
Participants in the 2022 event raised nearly £270,000, bringing the total raised since the inception of the fundraiser to more than £5.5 million.
More than 100 volunteers and event sponsors and supporters gathered at the Hawco VW showroom in Inverness on Thursday evening to celebrate anther successful year of the event.
The Highland Cross sees walkers and runners travel 20 miles on foot from Kintail on the west coast to Glen Affric, then cycle the final 30 miles to the east coast in Beauly.
Teams of three are charged with raising money for local charities, all of which goes directly to helping people in the region.
Organisers said that after two years without the Cross due to Covid-related cancellations, the participants in this year's event did an "outstanding fundraising job and raised a magnificent sum for Highland charities".
John Fraser, treasurer to Highland Cross, said: “The total raised by competitors this year of £268,907 has amazed us. Over the 38 years Highland Cross has now given charities over £5.5 million."
The top fundraising team this year, “Are we nearly there yet”, consisted of Willie Gray, Katie Gray and Richard McGrail who raised an incredible total of £15,478.05. Competing teams of three raised an average of over £1000 each, something the organisers says is very much appreciated especially in these challenging times.
The four main causes benefitting from the Highland Cross money this year are CCAST Highland, Reach 4 Reality, Oxygen Works and the Glenurquhart Care Project.
In addition to funding the primary causes, some smaller grants will also be distributed to charities across the region over the next month.
Calum Munro, organising secretary and co-founder of the Highland Cross, which began in 1983 as the Midsummer Madathon, said: “With the 38th staging of Highland Cross brought to this amazing conclusion we are now well into the planning for the 39th Highland Cross on June 17, 2023.
"Over a third of a century of service to Highland communities is something that the wonderful team of volunteers, sponsors and supporting organisations can be justly proud of. Some of our supporters have been with us since the start and in some cases the children and grandchildren of original supporters are now volunteers on the Cross.
"The application list for participants in the 2023 event is already closed due to being oversubscribed. Highland Cross exists to raise money for medical and social causes in the Highland and with the continued efforts of the fantastic community of sponsors, volunteers and supportive organisations that creates the Highland Cross, we look forward to supporting yet more hard-working causes in 2023."
