Brotherly Sports, Marathon

Generosity beyond the call of duty

April 9, 2017

Today I will tell you about Lesley’s first Marathon: the money raising Marathon prior to the real event in London later on this month.

We went to the West End where Paul Carroll, owner and main performer of MHT, invited us backstage to meet the team. We then took our VIP seats and enjoyed the show. A rollercoaster of emotions, laughter and energy that the public obviously enjoyed as they never stopped clapping – as if they were paid to cheer! Having already raised over €100,000 for MacMillan while on tour,

Paul talked beautifully about Lesley’s recent events and challenge. Lesley & our Amina (11 years old) stood by the doors at the end collecting what was an outpour of generosity.

As we were walking back to our hotel on the Strand, happy, laughing and ice cream in hand, we passed a man sleeping rough on the street. As I gave him a few pounds, he asked me what we were doing. Bemused I told him we were going back home; he shook his head and asked what we we doing with “the bucket”. I told him we were raising money for charity. Once he learned it was for MacMillan, he spontaneously offered to donate! He told me how his mother was helped in her hour of need and handed back one of the pounds I gave him with the instruction to put it in the bucket. My immediate reaction was to say no, I did not want to take his money… but who am i to deny him? What makes me the decider of what is right or wrong, who should give or not? So i accepted his kindness and shook his hand goodbye, palming some notes. We looked at one another, holding hands, not uttering a word as our eyes filled up. Two worlds crossing paths. A connection on a pure human basis was made. What a kind man, I found myself tears streaming down my face in front of my children around midnight at the Strand, thinking about fairness, kindness, luck and responsibility… while our valet brought our car around and the man got into his sleeping bag.