Thank you to our incredible supporters who joined us on Sunday the 6th October, for the 15th annual CRY Heart of Durham Walk!
Thank you to our incredible supporters who joined us on Sunday the 6th October, for the 15th annual CRY Heart of Durham Walk!
We are deeply grateful to all 255 walkers and volunteers who joined us on the day, with many traveling far and wide to come together to remember those that have died of Young Sudden Cardiac Death. This important date in the CRY calendar is a meaningful occasion for everyone involved.
Despite the slight drizzle in morning, the weather held out, offering us a bright day, as we gathered at the Durham Amateur Rowing Club, who generously hosts the walk yearly.
Nestled by the riverside, surrounded by red and orange autumnal trees, our walkers began to gather from 9am onwards at the Rowing Club as our photographer Doug Moody, began capturing the day with pictures of our supporters, some with big fuzzy hats and many furry friends.
Once everyone had gathered, Cara MacMillan, a member of our CRY staff team, welcomed us to the Durham Walk and introduced two of the event organisers, Jeff Morland and Steve Percival. Jeff and Steve established the walk in 2009 in memory of Jeff’s son, Levon. They both gave speeches about the history and significance of the day and the importance of raising awareness to prevent further tragedies, before reading aloud every young person our supports were walking in memory of.
Following the speeches and minute of silence, participants set off at 11am aided by CRY volunteer’s Jeff and Steve, Joe Crow, Jim Henderson and David Jewell. It’s always so deeply moving to see our walkers set off through Durham in their CRY t-shirts, bringing vital awareness to CRY and the true incidence of young sudden cardiac death. The 3.5 mile route took walkers past the Cathedral and castle, with many walkers choosing to enter the Cathedral and light a candle. After winding through the cobbled streets, navigating the bustling market place, and passing over historic bridges, our supporters headed back along the river to reunite at the rowing club.
Our CRY volunteers, Pat and Dorothy, warmly welcomed our walkers back and distributed medals before everyone relaxed and reflected in the afternoon sun. Supporters also had the opportunity to write heartfelt messages for their loved ones on the message wall. The online version will remain avaliable until next year, which you can find here, and any messages written on back signs were taken to be displayed at the CRY head office.
CRY supporter Marie Miller generously assisted at the merchandise stand, where supporters could browse and purchase a variety of items such as the much anticipated Christmas cards and poncho balls for the little ones.
The experience of Durham Walk is unique for everyone. Whilst some families have joined us for years, many others attended for the first time in 2024. We hope the walk provides everyone with a meaningful opportunity to remember and share memories of their loved ones.
We appreciate the effort every single person made to be there on the day, to come together to reflect and remember those who have died due to Young Sudden Cardiac Death, and to support those who have been diagnosed with an inherited cardiac condition.
Thank you!
First and foremost, we want to thank all our incredible supporters who join us each year, and our friends in Australia who participated in the My Walk for CRY.
We want to say a big thank you to Doug Moody, a local photographer who every single year, captures beautiful pictures of our walkers throughout the day.
We would like to thank the Durham Amateur Rowing Club for providing us the venue at a discount, your generosity is greatly appreciated.
Thank you to Durham University Cricket Club for allowing our supporters to use the club’s car park. As well as the Durham Safety Advisory Group and Asset Management Team for approving the route. Finally, a big thank you to our amazing volunteers, Jeff and Steve, Pat and Dorothy, Marie, Joe, Jim and David and our CRY staff members, Cara, Ben, Matilda, Oliver and Sophie.
This year’s participants were walking and volunteering in memory of
Thomas Arthur, Sam Ashcroft, Jack Balfour, Lewis Barry, Steffani Broughton, Andrew Callender, Joseph Clark, Daniel Cook, Charlie Craig, Adam Dearnley, Poppy Eagle, Ashley Goodwin, Edward Greed, Mike Harper, Dean Henderson, Laura Hillier, John Ibbotson, Isabel Clare Ineson, Damien Jewell, Eleanor Keeler, Peter Lent, Jake Lister, Pat McLaughlan, Stephanie McLean, Levon Morland, Sam Myers, Clarissa Nicholls, Thomas Padmore, David Page, Kevin Paterson, Benedict Peters, Laurence Portaluri, Owen Raine, Charlotte Richardson, Christopher Rushton, Mike Scott, Jack Shields, Robert Daniel Smith, Hannah Stanton, Jono Stead, David Wallace, David White.