This article relates to April 2021. Please refer to the latest news for current updates

Over 100 participants kindly stepped up to the plate and supported Devon Air Ambulance (DAA) this March raising over £20k in their latest fundraising venture. 

The charity’s second virtual event, titled the March march Challenge, saw participants from across the county as well as further afield including Canada, complete an average of 10,000 steps a day throughout the month of March. 

After DAA suffered a huge financial shortfall last year due to closed shops and cancelled events, this latest activity has so far delivered a fantastic £21,720 boost to kick off the charity’s fundraising for 2021 and the charity are incredibly proud of everyone who took part. 

As well as raising much needed funds for the charity, the event promoted health and wellbeing through physical activity, and a sense of involvement for participants via a private Facebook group in which steppers were able to support each other as well as share their daily progress. 

One March march participant said:

By doing this challenge it made me get out and walk more. I discovered so much more in my local area that I would never have noticed before when driving around. It was great seeing how other people were getting on and looking at photo's they had taken in their local areas. It was really nice that strangers were supporting each other and there was just a nice friendly feel to the group. It was also good that someone from Devon Air Ambulance was giving us lots of supportive comments.

 Head of Fundraising Sally Hilton said:

We are proud to applaud every single one of our March march participants who completed this challenge in their own unique way. Through their support and that of their family, friends and colleagues at work they have raised this fantastic figure in just 4 weeks. Being an independent charity and not part of the NHS, over £20,000 will make an enormous difference to the life saving service we provide for the critically ill and injured patients who we are called to help every day.

 
DAA are proud to be independent of Government and National Lottery funding and are incredibly thankful for the kind generosity of the people of Devon who raise the funds to keep them responding. Every penny raised ensures the continued service of DAA, enabling the critical care crew to deliver advanced lifesaving treatment and interventions on-scene, to the people of Devon at their time of need. 

 

To find out more about our future events and other ways you can support us visit our events and fundraising pages.