Mr Selfie’s grand job of fundraising
A LLANELLI bus driver, known as ‘Mr Selfie,’ has already hit his £1,000 target just 79 days into his year-long fundraiser.
Keith Thomas, who is originally from Swansea, set himself the challenge of taking a selfie every day for a year to raise funds for the Wales Air Ambulance.
He did a similar challenge four years ago and raised £3,700 for Marie Curie. As well as taking selfies, the grandfather-ofseven also took part in the charity’s special 20th birthday fundraiser My20 with his wife, retired schoolteacher, Jane.
The Wales Air Ambulance celebrated its 20th anniversary on March 1 and to acknowledge the milestone, the Charity created a new fundraising event called My20.
My20 allowed people to set themselves a challenge, task or activity that relates to the number ‘20,’ which they would complete during March.
Keith, who works for bus company First Cymru, hoped to reach his fundraising target when he and his twin brother, Kevin, turn 60 on July 8.
Speaking about smashing his target, Keith, said: “I was hoping to reach my target before I was 60, which is in July. I never imagined that I would raise £1,000 in 79 days. It is an awesome feeling, and every penny raised the rest of the year is a bonus.
“I was furloughed for two weeks, so rather than sit down and do nothing, my wife and I decided to walk two miles a day and complete 20 miles in 10 days for the My20 challenge and we completed it in nine days.”
Due to current government restrictions, Keith had to adapt his selfie-taking to include the twometre social distancing rule and he has also contacted people to ask them to submit a selfie. Even celebrities have been happy to take part in the challenge.