Steve Smith, evo UK Warehouse Director, has successfully completed a 274-mile charity trek, marking the evo Foundation’s first charity event.
The walk, which was completed in ten days and the equivalent of ten marathons, included significant evo landmarks along the way, including Sheffield, Lutterworth, Birmingham, Bradford, Leeds and Normanton. The event has already raised £31,000, and is continuing to rise thanks to Steve and colleagues’ charitable efforts.
evo employees from across its businesses – Vow Wholesale, Banner, Complete and Premier Vanguard – all took part and joined Steve for different legs of the journey, with Steve’s family and friends ready to surprise him as he crossed the finish line.
View the Walk of evo gallery here!
All donations raised will go towards evo’s new charity, the evo Foundation, raising money for the advancement of education and the prevention of poverty globally.
Reflecting on his achievement, Steve says: “The last ten days has been a fantastic journey, made possible by the wonderful team at evo. What started as an idea amongst half a dozen of us quickly became a challenge that has involved over 100 evo employees from across the country. The hardest moments of the journey, including the hills between Leeds and Buxton and the resulting blisters, was all worthwhile knowing I had the support of my colleagues, our suppliers, friends, and my family who were there to cheer me on for the final stretch.”
When asked how he decided on the event and whether there would be more events to come, Steve said: “I love to walk. On a typical weekend, I do about 20 miles for a bit of fun. So I thought, why not turn this into a challenge to help raise money for a worthy cause? My feet are still recovering, so I’ll need time to rest up before the evo Foundation decides on its next event but watch this space!”
Andrew Gale, evo CEO / Trustee and founder of the evo Foundation, says, “The evo Foundation was launched to help assist those of us who fall on hard times, as education should be available to everyone, regardless of their situation. Unfortunately, we still see so many young, talented people unable to reach their full potential due to costs like equipment and travel.
“Our new charity, marked by our first event alongside Steve, has got off to a great start, and we’re so pleased to have surpassed our goal. A big thank you to our suppliers for donating, supporting, and even joining the walk! This, of course, is only the beginning, and we cannot wait to continue organising worthwhile events to help make a difference.”