Community / Fiery fundraiser brings in more than £5,000 for charity
MORE than £5,000 has been raised for charity after 20-plus folk took part in the first ‘firewalk’ to be held in Shetland.
The event took place in the Lerwick playpark on Saturday evening to raise funds for Ability Shetland.
The premise was fairly simple: to walk barefoot over burning embers, which were the remnants of a fire lit earlier in the day.
A sizeable crowd was on hand to watch the invited guests, staff members and trustees, who were led to the playpark by bagpipers, do their thing.
The Bigton Samba Band was also involved to soundtrack the event, which was delivered by Firewalk Scotland.
Shetland News’ Chris Cope was one of the invited guests, while also taking to the hot coals were the likes of health and social care chief Brian Chittick, Shetland Fishermen’s Association’s Daniel Lawson, Fjara’s Jonathan Williamson and paramedic Kaylee Robertson.
Ability Shetland team leader Stephanie Bain herself braved the embers, and she said the charity had roughly doubled its fundraising target.
“It’s gone really well,” she said. “I was really nervous about it, to be honest – that’s why I went last, because I was building up to it, watching everybody else.
“It was a really good experience – I was quite emotional about it. It was so fine to get them [Firewalk Scotland] to come up from south, it was the first ever one in Shetland.”
Prior to the event those taking part were given an induction; walk quickly and lightly was a key message, as was overcoming fear.
There is also a science behind the historic practice, with the contact time with the feet limited and embers having low thermal conductivity.
Firewalk Scotland’s website said it is a “metaphor for life – every major decision we make in our lives, it is the first step that is the most difficult, after that we just keep going forward”.
Meanwhile the online fundraising page for the event is still open.
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