Little Princess Trust News
Determined duo go the extra mile to show their support!
Covering a whopping 57.44 miles in just two days, we recently welcomed Cal and Megan to LPT HQ.
Aware of our all-important Hair and Hope mission, and having been growing his locks out for the last three and a half years, Cal knew early on that donating his hair to us here at The Little Princess Trust was the ultimate goal.
As the big day arrived, Cals' partner, Megan, was let loose with the scissors, cutting off an impressive 15 inches of his hair!
Cal told us: “I can't say that I miss my long hair very much, at least not yet. I'm a very active person and I found my longer hair to be quite a nuisance and it often got in the way.
The actual act of cutting it off was quite fun. We'd been planning it for so long, and it was great to see the whole plan coming to fruition. We tried to maximise the donation, so we cut the hair as close to the roots as we could, which resulted in some very interesting mid-cut looks!
Unsatisfied, however, with just donating his hair, this super-supporter duo chose to go the extra mile (or 57 miles to be exact) to show their support for LPT!
They planned to walk from their home in Church Stretton, Shrewsbury, to The Little Princess Trust HQ in Hereford, with the aim of raising funds towards our wonderful wig provision service.
In order to highlight their fundraising campaign even further, Cal made the decision to dye the hair he had left bright purple! Proudly sporting the colours of LPT, whilst also wearing our running t-shirts for good measure, this pair were more than ready to take on the challenge.
Splitting the distance into 2 days, the pair set off on Saturday 8th July, covering a whopping 26.57 miles on the first day.
Cal told us: “As much as I don’t miss my long hair, I know it’s going to someone who had no choice about how they want their hair styled or cut. Losing your hair at such a young age to cancer treatment or other medical conditions is something someone so young should not have to contend with. This thought carried me through the dark times on my hike.”
It was at this point that, unfortunately, Megan had to withdraw from the walk due to blisters preventing her from going any further.
As day 2 came around, encouraged by Megan and driven by his determination to raise as much money towards our wig provision service as he could, Cal embarked on the now solo challenge to finally meet us here at LPT!
Megan admitted: “It was truly challenging and the second day solo mission tested Cal. I think we sometimes look at these challenges with rose tinted glasses or a romanticised view of this ‘lovely long walk through the countryside', however it wasn’t always so simple!”
8 hours of walking later and a further 29.88 miles covered, Cal and Megan finally came to the end of their journey, arriving in Hereford, and more than ready for a much needed cup of tea!
Raising enough money to make two wigs has always been our personal goal, but with the cost of living crisis making peoples' budgets tighter, we didn’t want to ask too much of friends and families. We have been overwhelmed by the support of everyone who donated, got in touch to wish us good luck, and congratulate Cal on completing the walk.
Finishing with a total of 57.44 miles covered, over 20 hours of walking, and an incredible £1,428 raised (and we can’t forget about the 15” hair donation), this amazing pair have not only done themselves proud, but have also helped to make a massive difference to the lives of the children and young people we support - thank you!
Losing your hair at such a young age to cancer treatment or other medical conditions is something someone so young should not have to contend with. This thought carried me through the dark times on my hike.
Whether you’re lacing up your hiking shoes and following in this fantastic pair's footsteps, or would prefer to get involved in another way of fundraising, why not check out some super ways to support us and become inspired to do something amazing?