A 77-year-old cancer survivor from Walney is walking 60 miles for a hospice.
Ralph White has already walked 40 miles around the building of Ulverston Leisure Centre across two days at the end of November, raising money for Derian House Children’s Hospice.
The final 20 miles is set to take place in between Christmas and New Year and Ralph has yet to decide where to complete the last leg of his mammoth walk.
He said: "After having cancer for 11 years of my life, I’m just grateful to be alive – and every moment you have is important.
"It makes me realise how lucky we are to have three healthy children and eight healthy grandchildren - it’s why I am choosing to give back to families who might not be so lucky.”
Read more: Walney pensioner will walk 20 miles for Derian House | The Mail (nwemail.co.uk)
At the end of last year, the pensioner walked two miles every day for 10 days – just weeks after having a major operation – and raised more than £4,000 for Derian House in the process.
Ralph has so far raised almost £700 on his 60-mile challenge and has been resting to prepare himself for his final walk.
"We first became aware of the charity 10 years ago when a friend’s grandson became poorly and Derian House helped them out a lot," he explained.
"I just couldn’t understand why it was 60 or more miles to our local children’s hospice; that’s how far you have to go to get those services – we had no idea it covered such a large area.
"There is very little else offered between here and there."
Ralph paid tribute to the hospice, explaining the importance of how they make 'memories' for the children they care for.
"After my first challenge, I visited Derian House and we were very impressed," he said.
"There was a family enjoying themselves in the pool, and we had a look at the cinema and the sensory room filled with colourful bright lights - it’s a fantastic place."
You can donate to Ralph's 60-mile challenge here.
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