De Boer’s international offices step up to the MoonWalk challenge

A truly international effort within structure specialist De Boer has helped four members of the company’s UK team raise thousands of pounds for the fight against cancer. 

Fund-raising spectacular
The female colleagues joined participants in MoonWalk London, the huge fund-raising spectacular staged annually by De Boer’s long-time charity client Walk the Walk. 

Sponsorship
The event captured the imagination of De Boer’s staff, with sponsorship coming from across the company’s UK headquarters in Brackley, Northamptonshire – and extending to hundreds of pounds being raised by its international offices in Belgium and Holland. Even De Boer’s suppliers joined the fundraising efforts. 

Power-walkers
The four power-walkers – Maria Perry, Katie Russell, Kate Morrison and Sarah Chamberlain – raised more than £2,500 from the event, far exceeding the amount they had hoped to collect for Walk the Walk. 

Charity support
De Boer Key Accounts Manager Kate Morrison, who oversees the MoonWalk build process, said: “It really made a big difference knowing we had so much support from our colleagues, our international offices and suppliers. We’ve worked with Walk the Walk for many years so we know the charity really well and were so pleased to be able to join in the event.” 

Broad selection of structures
The colleagues’ marathon effort came as De Boer once again provided a broad selection of structures to MoonWalk London, which was launched by charity Walk the Walk 13 years ago. De Boer’s accommodation was erected in Hyde Park, where participants assembled ahead of the challenge. 

Facilities
Facilities included a medical centre, baggage stores, information kiosks, kitchen, merchandising unit and media facilities. 

Distinctive structure
However, as in previous years, the most distinctive structure was the mighty Pink Galaxy, measuring 152 metres by 60 metres, which was created by De Boer five years ago in Walk the Walk’s vivid pink corporate colour. It has since been used at the MoonWalk each year, as well as for a similar event staged annually by the charity in Edinburgh. 

Marathon
More than 15,000 people – the vast majority of them women – tackled this year’s power-walk, choosing between a full marathon distance of 26.2 miles and a half-marathon. The event took place through the night and saw participants completing the challenge wearing Walk the Walk’s trademark decorated bras – this year on the theme of ‘A Walk on the Wild Side’... complete with animal prints and rock ‘n’ roll paraphernalia!

Motivational skills
Two of De Boer’s team – Maria Perry and Katie Russell – successfully tackled the full marathon distance while colleagues Sarah Chamberlain, who was seven months pregnant at the time of the walk, and Kate Morrison completed the 13.1-mile course. They received strong support during the walk from Julie Holl, a long-time friend of Sarah whose motivational skills have been honed during a career as a personal trainer!