Dingwall man to take on 500 mile Spanish walk to raise funds for St Clements
A Dingwall man has set himself the challenge of walking 500 miles of the old pilgrim trail known as the Camino de Santiago while raising much needed funds for St Clements Special School in his hometown.
Next month, David Campbell will set off along ‘the Camino’ or the Way of St James to help parents at the school raise money so the kids can get a better play area after yet another delay in building them a new school.
The gruelling but spectacular hike will see Mr Campbell start on September 9 at Saint Jean Pied de Port in France and aim to finish on October 16 at the Santiago de Compostela Cathedral in Galicia in northern Spain.
But in the run-up to the big effort he has been making good use of his native Highlands by training on places like Fyrish to make sure he is top condition to reach the destination.
“It has always been on my bucket list of things to do before l was 70. The only thing left is Machu Picchu, which will hopefully be next year,” he said.
“I have always thought that St Clements did such a wonderful job assisting young people and having seen how my son’s late granny, Rhoda Mackay, interacted with the older generation at The Seaforth Centre in Maryburgh.
“It's a shame how St Clements has been let down by various institutions, and if l can raise some sponsorship through my wander, well, that would be amazing. Various organisations have already kicked-off the funding with pledges of £800.
“So, thank you to Fingal Lodge, Scott Slating, and Gunn Undertakers for their kindness. I have signed up to a ‘dooda’ called Polarsteps, and once shown how, l will do a bloggy thing daily.”
He added: “This is a truly worthwhile local cause, which l will be delighted to raise funds for.”
And from back at home Avril Robertson, who chairs the St Clements parent council will be cheering him on as she said she welcomes what he describes as his ‘69 year old and quarter madness’.
“Again the generosity from the local community has been amazing and we are so grateful,” she said. “It is going to a good cause, which is the playground upgrade. The money for that has all been raised by the community, the parents and staff and kids at the school.
“This walk will take Dave 40 days and he is raising sponsorship for St Clements school. Dave describes this amazing adventure as his 69 years old and quarter madness.
“He has already raised a whopping £800. I'm sure everyone will agree that we are so appreciative and thankful that Dave has chosen to support St. Clement's School. There will be a daily blog so we can see his progress and all the beautiful scenery.”
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