The Fulham FC Foundation raised over £6,000 for its disability programmes by holding its annual “matchday march” last Saturday.
Participants completed the march remotely, walking a distance of three, five or ten miles, complete with a virtual opening ceremony and a virtual finishing line and medal ceremony.
The JustGiving page, which originally had a target of £5,000, has so far raised £6,390 for the foundation.
Katy Shepherd, Fulham’s disability development officer, said: “We wanted to do something that the disability participants and their families and anyone else that wanted to join us could all join in with something together.”
“We wanted to create a fundraiser that was fun and accessible for all, with participants being able to join at any stage of the walk.”
This year’s march was also supported by Walk London, a family-run shoes brand which started in Putney.
The first annual Matchday March took place last year before the pandemic hit and raised £5,605 for the four mile walk from Craven Cottage, Fulham’s stadium outside Bishop’s Park.
Last year’s march featured a Billy the Badger and friends trail hosted by the club’s mascot.
Instead, this year, participants were sent a Fulham Terry the T-Rex who had to photobomb photos in certain locations throughout the march.
Fulham FC Foundation, which supports individuals with Down’s Syndrome, Autism, and Visual Impairments, have invested millions of pounds into the community since they started in 2002.
Shepherd added: “When Covid first hit we were keen that we wanted to keep everyone having that social contact as well.
“Everything went online and the response was immense, with multiple sessions running including exercise classes, bingo, quizzes to just name a few.
“Their biggest hope is that they can start getting back to playing some games against other groups.”
Image Credit: Fulham FC Foundation
