Someone Has To
We are one week out from my weighted walk fundraiser and I'm short of my fundraising target. We're sitting at £458 with a target of £1000
Here's the run down
Anonymous, "Simple, not easy!" £10.00 + £2.50 Gift Aid
Mark, "Keep putting one foot in front of other" £100.00 + £25.00 Gift Aid
Elijah, "Amazing challenge" £12.00 + £3.00 Gift Aid
Seán, "good stuff" €50.00
Brian Dowling €30.00
Grainne Tallon, "Best of luck! Great cause" €20.00
Danny Sutherland, "Best of luck Dave super challenge" €25.00
Conor McGee, "Oof!" £50.00
Karl, Matthew and Emily P £20.00
Nate, "I don't know why you default to "escalate and reciprocate" but I am here for it - good luck mate!" €20.00
Weird Will, "Respect to The Dave" €50.00
Terry & Kim, "Best of luck Dave" £50.00
If you are the person at the top of that list "Anonymous" who quoted my "Simple, no easy" catchphrase back at me, ping me so I know who you are
Every person that has donated, with or without a message, I appreciate you. I know there's some donated through a different link I previously shared, I'm sorry I don't know who you are or what you gave, but know I am grateful.
If you're not on that list, no pressure, but here's the link: https://www.justgiving.com/page/dave-hedges-weighted-walk
Edit:SInce sending this out as an email, we have smashed the £500 mark
Dan O'Connor added €25 on the old link, he just got in touch to tell me
Imre, "Good man!", €30
Thomas, "Best of luck Dave", €30
Shelly, "Huge respect lifting that sandbag that distance for an amazing cause! All us Whelans will be shouting for you from Wexford :)" €25
Fergal, €20
Let me tell you how grateful I am to be able to take on challenges like this for people and charities like Depaul (Homelessness) and previously RehabCare (Mental Health)
When I did the first Mile Swing challenge several years ago, I wasn't prepared for the effect it would have.
Not just in raising money, but getting people talking about mental health.
In inspiring others to take on their own challenges, there's a guy in Scotland ran his own mile swing for his own charity.
I saw the service users from RehabCare light up and support me on the day.
There was a moment on one of the later Swing Challenges, it might have been the time I took on the 28kg bell and tried to do the whole thing without putting it down.
I blew up big time
I managed a full lap, every swing felt heavy and I couldn't settle into a good rhythm.
As I crossed the line for the first lap where most of the spectators were gathered I wanted badly to stop, but I couldn't. I pushed on another 100m or so to get away from them, and then I stopped for the first time.
From that moment on, every swing was a grind like no other.
On the final straight as I worked my way down that last 100 metres, probably the last 50, people were cheering and shouting.
But one voice cut through the noise. A quiet voice, a voice from a man with such crippling mental health issues he rarely went out in public never mind spoke up.
It was his voice, "Go Dave, Go! Go Dave, Go!"
Quiet
As unsure as ever
With his unique speech cadence
"Go Dave, Go!"
And I went
"Go Dave, Go!"
I hated hearing it as much as I needed to hear it.
That voice was the reason I was doing this thing.
It's not really the money, even though that helps, it always helps.
But it's the inspiration, the respect.
It's showing that you give a shit
It's giving respect
And then you get that gut punch when it is reciprocated.
"Go Dave, Go!"
The broad shouldered badass that supports everyone being supported by the people he's meant to be supporting.
"Go Dave, Go!"
This Weighted Walk isn't the spectacle the mile swing was.
But it'll be hard. A different hard, but still hard.
But if it inspires someone.
Just one person, to do something hard themselves, then I have won.
Here's that link again: https://www.justgiving.com/page/dave-hedges-weighted-walk
And to answer Nate, why do I default to escalate?
Honestly mate, I don't have a proper answer.
Maybe it's just because I can
And maybe it's because someone has to.
--
Regards
Dave Hedges
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