The Courier & Advertiser (Angus and Dundee)
Superheroes go the extra mile to raise cash for children’s hospital charities
FUNDRAISING: Dedicated group’s marathon effort pulls in thousands
A team of costume-clad superheroes and film characters have completed an epic 22-mile adventure from Dunfermline to Edinburgh to bring smiles to children and families at the Sick Children’s Hospital.
Setting out from the Glen Gates in Dunfermline, the band of heroes included Dalgety Bay Superman and Buzz Lightyear from Crossgates, as well as Duloch’s Spider-man and Batgirl.
They ran the near-marathon in full costume, before being piped through the Meadows and finishing up outside the hospital to visit their fans.
The superheroes initially teamed up during lockdown to bring some cheer to communities in Fife during the coronavirus pandemic.
Now, they are taking part in the Lap the World challenge – a fundraising race between Edinburgh and Glasgow Children’s Hospital charities to virtually cover the distance around Scotland and the world’s Equator (50,087km) before July 31.
The gang have already raised £8,000 to support Calaiswood School in Dunfermline, which works with children with additional needs.
They have now donated another £9,000 to Edinburgh Children’s Hospital Charity (ECHC), which supports the Royal Hospital for Sick Children.
They are part of an army of more than 2,000 participants who have signed up to help the charities Lap the World.
Baker Andy Spence, 35, the man behind the Buzz Lightyear mask, said: “I’ve been a supporter of the Sick Kids since 2005, when they saved my daughter Hope’s life.
“Our family is so grateful to the wonderful hospital teams for everything they have done for us.
“Myself and my wife have clocked up many kilometres over the years by running marathons and half-marathons to raise money for them.”
He said the team of superheroes were absolutely thrilled to have raised more than £9,000 for the charity and they hoped to raise even more before the end of the challenge.
And to prove they really had completed a superhuman fundraising effort, the superheroes decided to run a further four and a bit miles to complete a full marathon distance.
“The day was just incredible and something that will live with me forever,” said Superman, aka Nic Green, 28, a parts adviser for an Edinburgh Mercedes dealership. When we walked into the entrance of the hospital and saw all the kids at the windows waiting for us was worth running all that distance, it brought a tear to my eye.”
Victoria Buchanan, from ECHC, said: “We would like to say a huge thank you to them for running such an incredible distance for the children, families and staff of the Sick Kids.”
To support the superheroes, visit the website justgiving.com/team/ Dunfermlinesuperheroes