Football-mad celebrity and long-time Lily Foundation supporter Kevin set off first thing on Tuesday morning from the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, with his final destination of Crystal Palace’s ground, Selhurst Park, two days and over 60 miles away. Any concerns Kevin had about the reception a chubby little comedian like him (his words, not ours!) might receive quickly vanished as club after club rolled out the welcome wagon.
Ex-captain and club legend Gary Mabbutt represented Spurs at the start, setting Kevin off in the right direction with a replica shirt that had Lily’s name printed on the back. Then it was over to north London rivals Arsenal, where fellow comic, Lily supporter and Gooner Alan Davies turned up to cheer Kevin on along the next stretch to Leyton Orient. After a quick stop at Orient, who kindly donated a signed shirt, it was off to Millwall via West Ham and Charlton to complete day one.
Day two highlights included the stop at Chelsea, where Kevin and his cohort were treated to a backstage tour of Stamford Bridge, before heading on to QPR then Brentford before the day’s final push to Fulham.
From Fulham on day three, next stop was AFC Wimbledon, who really pushed the boat out. Kevin and co met official mascot Haydon the Womble, were presented with a truckload of goodies and even set foot on the hallowed turf (don’t tell the groundsman!). But the team had to tear themselves away to tackle the 11-mile hike to newly promoted Bromley. The advice from Bromley’s manager, Andy Woodman, when they arrived? “Kev, never walk here from Wimbledon again!”
On the final straight
But before he knew it, Kevin was on the final straight to Selhurst Park, the home of his beloved Crystal Palace. And what a reception the club gave Kevin and his companions, opening the bar, putting a picture of Kevin up on the pitch-side scoreboard and presenting him with a shirt signed by the squad.
Kevin admitted to being exhausted and emotional by the end of his walk, but how is he feeling now the dust has settled? He was delighted to complete the challenge, and said it’d been a real adventure. But he also appreciated the opportunity to meet some of the patients and families directly affected by mitochondrial disease and learn more about what it’s like to live with mito. Oh, and he also admitted to being “a little bit proud” of himself. And so he should be – so far he’s raised around £7,000 and, just as importantly, secured plenty of press coverage to help raise awareness of mitochondrial disease.
We’d like to extend a huge thank you to all the football clubs who welcomed Kevin so warmly and embraced his challenge. Thanks too to everyone who turned up to cheer Kevin on, walk with him and keep him going to the very end, and to our sponsor, SHC Group. And finally, the biggest thank you of all is to Kevin for giving up his time and achieving such an incredible fundraising feat for which we’re truly grateful.
It’s wonderful to have a celebrity like Kevin on our side to raise our profile and help fight mitochondrial disease. There’s still time to sponsor him and show your appreciation for his efforts. Because not only has he raised a huge amount of money, but he’s succeeded in putting mito on the map all over London too.
Kevin talks to Palace TV after mitochondrial disease awareness walk
As he arrived at Selhurst Park stadium, Kevin reflected on his 63-mile, 13 football stadium walk across London, raising funds for and awareness of mitochondrial disease and The Lily Foundation charity. Watch the interview.