Update 3 - About to head off on our adventure:
Well tonight we are heading off to China! After speaking about it for so long the time is finally here! As you will see from the meter above we smashed our initial target of £2500 - this is mainly due to the efforts of family and friends back home in the UK. Michelle's brother Gary went around the local fishing communities in Peterhead and Fraserburgh collecting in donations from fishermen who knew Michelle's dad, amounting to £3000 which is tremendous!
Also a friend of Michelle's dad and local publican Vinnie Stephen of The Sands Bar in Peterhead held a race night to help race cash for BCUK. The night was a great success and £1750 was raised.
We would like to thank both Gary and Vinnie and everyone who generously donated and attended the race night. We are both overwhelmed at the response, and it is a great tribute to Michelle's dad that he is still remembered so fondly.
We have had local press coverage in the Stonehaven newspaper and The Buchanie (see link below):
http://www.buchanobserver.co.uk/buchannews/Blue-Toon39s-Michelle-to-walk.5125087.jp
Although we are both highly delighted with how much has been raised, it is still not to late to donate, every little helps!
We are both really looking forward to the trip and will share our experiences with you when we return.
Thanks again everyone!
Update 2 - Burns Night Fundraiser:
Our 3rd annual Burns Night held in Perth, Australia was another opportunity for us to raise funds for our nominated charities. This year we added $10 to the ticket price as a direct donation to charity, along with holding a raffle and auctioning off a signed Aberdeen Football Club football which was kindly donated by the club. The list of raffle prizes was impressive and many of them were donated to our cause. The 1st prize was a limited edition 37 year old bottle of whiskey (valued at £400) which promped guests to dig deep. The venue where we held the Burns Night donated an overnight stay for 2 with breakfast. A four week Outdoor Gym program and a massage voucher were also kindly donated. Other prizes included bottle of champagne, luxury chocolates, and a keg of beer! Overall we managed to raise $3230 (just over £1500, comprising $850 from tickets sales, $650 from the AFC football auction and the remainder from raffle sales) which is amazing, we are both blown away by everyones generosity. This total will be split 50/50 between BCUK and Starlight Foundation Australia. It was another great night for us and everyone thoroughly enjoyed themselves.
Update 1 - Halloween Fundraiser:
We've just held our first fundraiser which was a fancy dress Halloween party here in Perth. We managed to sell 76 tickets and a portion of the ticket price was allocated for a donation to charity. We also managed to get some really great prizes which we raffled off, all of which were donated by local services here in Perth - hairdressers, beauty salon, fitness group etc etc. The total amount raised was AUD$2550 (approx. £1060) which was split 50/50 between Bowel Cancer UK and Starlight Foundation Australia. It was a really great night where everyone went to a lot of effort and gave very generously. Thanks to everyone who attended and thanks to those who donated a prize. This puts us well on the way to achieving our target by April!
Initial Entry:
Thank you for visiting our fundraising page. Please dig deep and sponsor us online!
Michelle and Joanne have chosen to take on the challenge of this trek in order to raise money for Bowel Cancer UK. They have chosen this charity as sadly, Michelles father died from bowel cancer in 1997. They would like to dedicate this trek to Michelles dad, William James Buchan.
Bowel Cancer UK is a leading charity dedicated to raising awareness of bowel cancer, improving the quality of life of those affected by the disease, and, ultimately, reducing deaths from the second most common cause of cancer death in the UK, affecting men and women equally.
Bowel cancer is the third most common cancer in the UK affecting both men and women:
• Every year, over 35,000 people are diagnosed with the disease: that’s someone every 15 minutes
• Bowel cancer is the second most common cause of cancer death in the UK affecting men and women
• Every year, over 16,000 people die from the disease: that’s someone every 30 minutes
• Bowel cancer is highly treatable when caught in the early stages
• Most symptoms do not turn out to be caused by bowel cancer
Undertaking a challenge like this for charity is a once in a lifetime opportunity - exploring one of the wonders of the world whilst raising money for worthy causes.
The Great Wall of China Trek itself is organised by a company called Discover Adventure (http://www.discoveradventure.com) and is a 7 day trek along various sections of the wall which involves walking up to 8 hours in a day. The terrain is varied, as we pass through woodland and terraced farmland, and follow the contours of the beautiful hills and mountains in remote areas north of Beijing. We follow old sections of the Great Wall, as well as restored sections with smooth flagstones and lots of steps! This challenge is physically demanding and offers fabulous scenery and a fascinating insight into a rich culture and history. For more details on the itinerary see
http://www.discoveradventure.com/challenge.aspx?t=18
Since Michelle and Jo originate from Scotland but are both currently living in Perth Australia they are also representing an Australian charity, Starlight Children’s Foundation Australia:
http://www.starlight.org.au/Pages/default.aspx
If you would like to donate to that cause, please use the following link:
http://www.everydayhero.com.au/mich_n_jo_great_wall_trek
Michelle and Jo have set a fundraising target of £2500 / $5000 for each charity, so please dig deep to help us achieve this target. You can choose to donate to either one of the charities (or both!), it’s up to you. Donating through this site is simple, fast and totally secure. It is also the most efficient way to sponsor us: Bowel Cancer UK will receive your money faster and, if you are a taxpayer, an extra 28% in tax will be added to your gift at no cost to you. So please sponsor US now. Every penny helps!
Many thanks for your support. 
Michelle & Jo
