A rousing cheer to you all who helped our kids raise a magnificent £2818 to date on their thrilling sponsored white water rafting on 10 August, when the group battled the rapids down a 5km stretch of very rough water on the Alpine River Dranse.The money they have raised has been banked in a Charities Aid Foundation bank account for use in sending another group of children recovering from cancer of a similar Healing holiday next year.
Ths was undoubtedly the highlight of an unforgettable Alpine adventure holiday for a group of young kids, aged 12 – 14, recovering from leukaemia, bone cancer and brain tumour.
In between they zoomed like an eagle from mountain peak to mountain peak on a zip wire at 80 km per hour, (breathtaking!), climbed and abseiled down a sheer mountain rock face, (Scary); canyoned down into a deep mountain gorge, (Very Scary); nipped from branch to branch like a monkey on a treetop assault course, (a Banana for the winner); plunged into icy waterfall pools, (Cool); kayaked, swam and picniced in some of the most awe inspiring scenery in the world.
The kids returned home with, to quote one delighted parent,
“a sparkle in the eye and a self confidence that had been absent since the cancer treatment.”
For us that was Mission Accomplished!
A special thanks to all who made this Healing Holiday possible; Chris and Cathy, our indefatigable volunteer Party Leaders who looked after the children; Daren of The Great Escape Morzine, who arranged the exciting programme of adventure tasks; Cathryn of Southampton Hospital’s Piam Brown Ward, our ever helpful volunteer Nurse Carer; Chiltern Travel our coach providers; and Vos Media Ltd, organisers of the Outdoors and Bike Show London ExCel, without whose sponsorship and inspiration there would be no Healing holidays for Summerkids programme.
