News

I wish I could fly! Oldham owl ‘Chaddy’ joins fundraisers for 100-mile Scottish highland hike for cancer charity

By Matthew Lees

Oldham Athletic’s Chaddy the Owl might be wishing those wings were not just for show – as the mascot is joining fundraisers for a five day 100-mile Scottish highland hike for charity this week.

With Oldham Athletic currently facing a battle to stay in League One, Chaddy the Owl is joining members of Chadderton Park Community Sports Club for their own personal challenge.

Chaddy is part of a group of 16 fundraisers who will be walking 102 miles in five days over Scotland’s West Highland Way.

The group are raising money for The Christie, which delivers services for patients and provides expertise and education on cancer care.

The walkers hope to raise awareness of the charity while also raising funds in memory of Chadderton Park FC secretary Steve Lynch who died in August 2012 after a long battle with cancer and Joe Slater.

The West Highland Way runs from Milngavie, six miles north of Glasgow, to Fort William in the Scottish Highlands.

Sites on the Way include the coasts of Loch Lomond, the head of Glencoe and the foot of Ben Nevis, the highest mountain in Britain.

The walkers will encounter a diverse range of terrains on the walk with lowland moors, dense woodlands and high mountainous regions.

They started this morning at 6am and should be walking 18 miles in the first day.

The party are aiming to finish by April 12 and hope to raise £3,000 for The Christie which is based in South Manchester.

Donations can be made at www.justgiving.com/Chaddyparkwestcoastwalk.

Image courtesy of Whaddney1 via YouTube, with thanks.

For more on this story and many others, follow Mancunian Matters on Twitter and Facebook.

Related Articles