Walk in memory of Max the Miracle Dog raises £50,000 for air ambulance charity

More than £50,000 has been raised for the Great North Air Ambulance Service (GNAAS) in a charity dog walk.

The walk was in memory of Max the Miracle Dog, the springer spaniel that rose to stardom with his Lake District adventures.

To raise funds for the GNAAS the walk was organised by Kerry Irvine, Max's owner. The walk took place on route to Tewet Tarn, one of Max's favourite places.

Speaking about the amount of people who turned out for the walk Kerry Irvine spoke of his delight about raising the funds.

He said: "We had a fantastic day and the funds we’ve all raised together in memory of Max is incredible and far exceeded what I was expecting.

“The weather didn’t detract from our dog walk, and it was great to see so many happy smiling faces and happy dogs enjoying the outdoors and making new friends.

“Thank you so much to everyone who supported the event through ticket sales and donations, in total we’ve raised more than £51,000."

One person who was taking part in the walk was 16-years-old Grace Gardiner. Her life was saved by the critical team at the GNAAS when she was four-months-old.

In 2007 Grace had a condition which led to a blockage in her bowel and her mum Helen drove her from their home in Penrith to the Cumberland Infirmary in Carlisle.

Grace's condition though became progressively worse and she needed treatment at the Royal Victoria Infirmary in Newcastle. It was by chance that the GNAAS were at the hospital and they airlifted her to Newcastle.

Grace has subsequently made a full recovery and donated her £300 tips from her job for the GNAAS.

Grace's mother said: "Grace has obviously been aware of GNAAS all her life but her decision to donate her tips was a very personal one.

“If it hadn't had been for the air ambulance, she just wouldn't be here.”

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