A small step - or two - for mankind
9:09pm Monday 12th May 2008
A BRAVE woman with Parkinson's Disease took part in a sponsored walk to help Africans who are forced to trek miles for water.
Janet Stilgoe has Parkinson's Disease, bad knees and has had a hip replacement.
But that did not stop the 73-year-old, of Alma Street, Barbourne, Worcester, taking part in the four mile "Turn on the Tap" Challenge to raise money for Samaritan's Purse International Relief.
The £175 she raised will help pay for wells and filters so African women and children do not have to trek miles to fetch fresh water.
She was one of around 100 fund-raisers to take part in the challenge which involved two circuits of the perimeter of Worcester Racecourse.
Mrs Stilgoe, who walks with a stick, even did two practice walks around the racecourse in advance to make sure she could complete half of the four mile walk.
She attended exercise classes for the over 55s in Ombersley Road Methodist Church in Worcester to get her in shape for the charity fund-raiser on Saturday which was opened by Worcester MP Mike Foster.
She said: "I saw a article about an elderly lady with her two grandchildren who was having more trouble walking than me.
"I said if she can walk for water, then so can I'.
"I used to have trouble walking to the bus stop until I started going to exercise classes."
She said it only cost £40 to buy a filter to purify dirty water which made her determined to make a difference.
She was joined by her friends Dot Johnson, 74, and Marion Watton, 61, all of whom attended Ombersley Road Methodist Church.
Brian Hatfield, representing the Samaritans, said he hoped the event would raise at least £2,000 for the cause.
He added: "But if it's double that I will say hip, hip hooray!"
The reason the walk is four miles long is because that is the average distance women and children walk to get water in Africa.
However, children as young as 11 have to walk up to 13 miles to fetch clean water in the sweltering heat which may be full of waterborne diseases.