22 May 2021 Community

Sun-rise to the challenge with your loved ones this July

Following the outbreak of the coronavirus, we have all cherished the moments spent with friends, family and loved ones more than ever before. The Sunrise Walk is a special way to support The Kirkwood with those closest to you, wherever you are in the world.

More often than not, families move away from each other and spread out across the world, meaning they must also find other ways of spending time with one another despite the miles between them. Here, Beth Otyehel shares how she was able to complete a remote walk with her family here in the UK along with her sister’s family in California.

Beth Otyehel completed the Virtual Memory Walk back in 2020 with her family following the cancellation of the Midnight Memory Walk due to the current pandemic. Having taken part in the Midnight Memory Walk for a number of years in the past, 2020 was a special year as the virtual walk enabled Beth’s children to join in the fun.

Beth said: “For a few years we have been debating whether the children were old enough to take part in the Midnight Memory Walk and we were just getting to the stage of thinking maybe we could try the shorter walk.

“The virtual option meant that because it was during the day, they were able to take part. They were really excited about being able to be part of the event, it was great. My sister, Vicky, and her family, who live in California, have completed the walk nearly every year we’ve done it and this time, we were setting off mid-afternoon and they were doing the breakfast walk.

Beth and her family setting off in the UK

 

Vicky and family setting off at the same time in California

 

“We usually have a mid-walk call and this time we were both walking in the sunshine and it was great for all the grandkids to see each other as they hadn’t done that before. It was so good to have the connection of the shared experience, even though we were thousands of miles apart. I had ordered the T-shirts early so was able to send these to our family overseas so they would feel like they were a part of something really special.

“We all had our T-shirts on and people were stopping to talk to us along the way. It was lovely to have that visible presence out in your own community and it was really nice for them to see all the children in the T-shirts too.”

Having the freedom to take part in the walk throughout the day, meant the event was more family orientated that ever before. The Sunrise Walk encourages the community to take on the walking challenge at dawn on Sunday 18th July, wherever they are in the world.

Discussing the Sunrise Walk, Beth added: “Walking at dawn and watching the sunrise will be really nice. There’s something special about that. You’re not just going for a stroll around your street in the afternoon, you still have to put an effort in and plan in advance. Being able to have the kids involved and complete the walk in a place that is special to you as a family outweighs going to a participant event.”

If you would like to take part in our Sunrise Walk challenge, simply click here to sign up.