Stagecoach North East bus driver Steve Todd is set to walk over 100 miles to raise funds for two motor neurone disease charities.
The 45-year-old former soldier from Middlesbrough, who works at the Stagecoach Stockton depot, is taking part in the walk in aid of children’s charity Zoe’s Place, a charity offering specialist respite and terminal palliative care for babies and infants up to five years old. It also provides essential support for their families. He is also raising vital funds for the Motor Neurone Disease Association (MNDA), which offers support to sufferers of the illness.
Steve, who started working for Stagecoach North East in 2002, has chosen to walk the 109 miles from Middlesbrough to Filey near Scarborough with his friend Mark Richardson in aid of the charities after losing his mother to motor neurone disease in 2000.
The men were due to set off on Sunday (6 November) and hope to finish eight days later. Steve said: “These charities are really close to my heart. My sister and I both do a lot of fundraising for the charities because of the excellent service they provide to people with the illness.
“I’m really looking forward to setting off but I am expecting it to be especially hard for me as up until the last few days I didn’t think I was going to be able to do the walk. I’ve got osteoarthritis in my left big toe, which left me on the sick for eight weeks really struggling to walk. But I’m back at work now and I will do it.”
Steve added: “The support people have given me so far has been great and I’m hopeful from the walk and charity night we can raise a few thousand pounds which will be split equally between Zoe’s Place and MNDA.”
John Conroy, managing director at Stagecoach North East, said: “Zoe’s Place and MNDA provide such crucial and dedicated support to children and adults with motor neurone disease across the region, so we’re delighted to support Steve in his efforts to raise money for the charities that make such a difference to the local communities they serve. I wish him the very best of luck as I know he’s been struggling with his left foot, but he’s so determined to complete the walk I have every faith that he will achieve his goal.”
