Dressed wearing Kilts the walkers raised around £700,000
Over 4,000 walkers took to the streets of Glasgow bedecked in tartan to fundraise for children’s charities on Sunday.
Organised by The Kiltwalk, the 26-mile Mighty Stride, the 14-mile Big Stroll and six mile Wee Wander events are expected to have raised approximately £700,000.
Starting off from Scotland’s football stadium, Hampden Park, walkers doing the Mighty Stride were joined by Sir Tom Hunter, whose Hunter Foundation relaunched the Kiltwalk in November 2015 promising every penny raised would go to charities.
Paul Cooney, chief executive of The Kiltwalk, said the atmosphere in the national stadium was more powerful than any football game he had been at there.
What makes this event so special is that every pound, every penny raised goes to the children who need it most
“The atmosphere in Hampden Park was fantastic,” he said.
“Thousands of Glaswegians were there, all wearing kilts and ready to go first thing on a Sunday morning, unified for one cause; to make a difference to the lives of Scotland’s children.
“Every Kiltwalker, volunteer, sponsor and supporter joined together today to do a wonderful thing that will leave a lasting effect on Scotland’s children.
“What makes this event so special is that every pound, every penny raised goes to the children who need it most. Once again, it has been proven that people really do make Glasgow.”
As well as the 4,000 walkers more than 300 Kilties volunteered to help on the day, cheering the walkers on and providing them with bottled water.
Walkers were also surprised along the route by a number of famous faces, such as STV’s Sean Batty, Sky Sports presenter Jim White and Radio Clyde’s Cat Harvey.
There are three more Kiltwalks this year. Next up is Aberdeen on June 5, followed by Speyside on August 14 and Edinburgh on September 18.
Across all four events, 10,000 walkers have signed-up with an ambition to raise more than £1.5 million for children's charities across Scotland such as the Yorkhill Children's Unit at the new Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Glasgow and Calum's Cabin on Bute which gives respite to the families of terminally ill children.
