Shane Timlin and Fiona Rouse who launched the Everest Staircase Challenge over Easter this year have presented Board Director of MRHF Damian Slater and CEO Martina Jennings with a cheque to the charity of €7,410, from monies raised in the challenge.
The challenge involved seeing how many times the height of the world's highest mountain could be summited over the Easter weekend remotely in homes, workplaces and around the community, with participants asked to climb 500 flights of stairs individually or as part of a team.
The fundraising pair stated: "Mount Everest is 8,848m, which is approximately 3,500 flights of stairs so for every seven times 500 flights completed, that's one Everest climbed - and a flight is up and down!"
In the midst of a global pandemic the fundraiser caught the imagination of many and when the weekend of the challenge finally arrived, Shane and Fiona were joined by friends, family and a whole host of virtual mountaineers all ready to take it on. From Canada to Australia and almost everywhere in between, staircases, steps and hills were climbed to raise over €15,000 for two very special charities, Mayo Roscommon Hospice Foundation and The Irish Cancer Society Night Nursing Services.
The collective effort was massive and they managed to climb Everest 24 times over the four days - which works out as 84,452 flights of stairs.
"We have just been blown away by the support and kindness of everyone, and wish to extend a massive thank you again to all who took part and donated. Also we would like to give a special mention to Avril Greham, who kept on top of our social media content over the weekend and created the amazing photo video," added Shane & Fiona.
Mayo Roscommon Hospice Foundation stated that it is 'so grateful for this amazing donation and is delighted that the amount raised will go towards funding palliative care services within the communities of Mayo and Roscommon'.
