Donations are being collected to support Jamie McDonald, the Englishman who is running across Canada to raise money for a number of children’s charities.
Martha Birkett of the Amaryllis Centre began to collect monetary donations for McDonald when she heard the runner would be approaching Cochrane around Christmastime. She’s set up donation stockings in the Amaryllis Centre for Healing and the Amaryllis Yoga Studio, along with a number of other businesses including Grand Avenue Pharmacy and CCI Solutions.
“It’s perfect timing,” said Birkett. “Wouldn’t it be nice to put Cochrane on the map as one of the communities that made a difference?”
While McDonald is not slated to make a full stop in Cochrane, he will be running past the town along the TransCanada Highway.
McDonald’s unassisted run across Canada began in St. John’s, Nfld., on March 9. Since then, he’s travelled across the prairies, faced snowstorms and frigid temperatures. His challenges will only continue as he gets closer to the Rocky Mountains, where he’ll face miles in isolation along with the unpredictability of weather and wildlife.
He’s running to raise money for two United Kingdom-based charities — the Great Ormond Street Hospital Children’s Charity and the Pied Piper Appeal — along with children’s hospitals across Canada.
McDonald’s trek hasn’t been an easy one, but it is anticipated that he’ll arrive in the Calgary area Dec. 19. He’ll be heading westward not long after, and is expected to run by Cochrane on Christmas Day.
McDonald is something of a regular when it comes to extreme fundraising. In 2012, he cycled 14,000 miles from Bangkok to his English hometown of Gloucester.
Then, once back in the UK, the Brit broke the world record for static cycling, completing 265 hours on a stationary bike.
Visit jamiemcdonald.org to learn more about McDonald’s run and track his progress.
