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Braving the cold all in a good cause
AN animal-loving Brierley Hill man braved Arctic temperatures as he undertook the trip of a lifetime to raise money for homeless animals.
Mark Higgins, of Stourbridge Road, is recovering after taking part in a seven day Husky Trail' during April, through breathtaking backdrops of Norway and Sweden, to raise money for the Blue Cross.
Guided by his own team of six Alaskan Huskies, 29-year-old Mark tackled mountain stretches and wild landscapes on the 250km trek to raise over £2,500 for the Bromsgrove-based Blue Cross centre.
He said: "I always wanted to go somewhere cold and snowy and my wife mentioned the sponsored treks for the Blue Cross.
"It is a charity which I have supported over the years, as my family once had a dog from there, so I signed up.
"However my wife is eight months pregnant and I think when the time came she regretted suggesting it, as she was on her own for a week, and I spent most of the time hoping she wouldn't give birth."
Speaking about his trip, the dad-to-be said: "It was fantastic, but harder than I thought it would be.
"The temperatures dropped to minus 25 at night and the tents were uncomfortable to sleep in and we lived on frozen sandwiches and boil in the bag meals, but the scenery was amazing and the dogs were great.
"We each had a team of six dogs who we were in charge of and they were really friendly and could run all day. I will really miss them."
Mark's adventure followed a year-long fundraising effort by Virgin Media's Brierley Hill contact centre, where he works as a sales advisor.
Money making activities included Mark shaving off his beloved long hair which raised £300 as well as selling homemade food at work.
Neil Edwards, Blue Cross centre manager at Bromsgrove, added: "The Blue Cross relies on donations to look after the homeless pets in our care, so we are truly grateful to Mark for such a gesture of generosity."
Looking back at his trip, Mark said: "I've never been anywhere like it before and I probably never will again, it was a once in a lifetime experience."
However the intrepid explorer now has his sights on something a bit warmer for his next adventure with a possible trip to the Sahara Desert.
To make a donation visit www.justgiving.com/markshuskytrek
10:57am Wednesday 7th May 2008
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