Dingwall woman tackles Grand Canyon in mum's memory
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AN intrepid Dingwall woman is gearing up for a gruelling Grand Canyon fundraising challenge in memory of her late mother.
Linda Reid (45) will be walking for five days in Arizona’s searing temperatures on the 90km trek, carrying her own gear and tackling vertical climbs – all while attempting to dodge venomous rattlesnakes.
But her inspiration on the energy-sapping expedition will be her mum, Dingwall woman Margaret Durrand who lost her battle with cancer in 2011, aged 65.
Margaret was a community stalwart in the town and as a member of the Dingwall Fire Brigade Community Group helped to organised many local events over the years.
Margaret died at home in Dingwall’s Deas Avenue, but now Linda wants to give something back to the "angels" at Highland Hospice who provided such great support to the whole family during her mother’s illness.
Linda will be accompanied on the Highland Hospice DIVA Challenge by Kerry Mackenzie (38), also from Dingwall but who now lives in Conon Bridge.
The trek is not until September 2016 but they are anxious to start fundraising as soon as possible so they can raise plenty of cash for the hospice.
Linda told the North Star: "We have to raise £3,900 each and the bulk of that will be going to the hospice.
"The trek itself will be quite a challenge. We will be walking for five days in very dry, arid heat and camping out each night.
"There are quite a few vertical climbs on the route and the terrain is very rocky and craggy.
"We will also have to watch out for poisonous rattlesnakes and I’m absolutely terrified of snakes!
"Kerry and I go to fitness classes five or six times a week at Dingwall Leisure Centre and we like to think we’re quite fit.
"However, we’re not used to the heat and both fair skinned, while we’re also quite small in stature, so it will be a challenge carrying all our kit."
Linda said it would be an emotional time for her returning to the USA.
The last time she was there was on a dream holiday with her mother, enjoying a grand musical tour of legendary places such as Nashville and Gracelands.
"It’s the one part that I’m not looking forward to," admitted Linda.
"There will be a sadness, but mam loved that holiday and made so many friends.
"We want to raise as much money as we can for Highland Hospice.
"Mam was offered a bed there when she was ill, but she didn’t make it.
"I received bereavement counselling from the hospice and I found that so helpful. I didn’t think I was grieving, I thought I was just getting on with things, but it really helped me.
"I want to give something back to the hospice after my mam and I received such excellent support from people who are angels."
Now Linda and Kerry have a host of fundraisers planned to help raise as much cash as possible for the hospice which is in the middle of a major rebuilding appeal.
Lined up so far is a fashion show in the M&Co store in Dingwall on September 6, a street collection outside the Ross County’s Global Energy Stadium this Saturday, a physic night, a ceilidh with the school band, a craft fair and bag packing to name but a few of the events the pair have scheduled.
* You can also sponsor Linda and Kerry on their fundraising web pages: https://grandcanyon.everydayhero.com/uk/linda (the same for kerry but substitute linda with kerry-mackenzie).
* Linda and Kerry's fashion show is being sponsored by M&Co - www.mandco.com.
