An inspirational musician from Perth is celebrating after raising more than £1,500 for charity by travelling 3,000 miles across the United States. Logan Gilmartin took on the massive solo journey from San Francisco to Boston to reach Scotland's first World Cup match in almost 30 years.
Journey of Kindness
He relied largely on the kindness of strangers to make his way across the country, trying his hand at hitchhiking, catching overnight buses, and even playing an open mic night to raise his travel funds. While watching the historic football match against Haiti was a massive motivation, Logan's primary goal was to raise vital money and awareness for The Psoriasis Association.
Personal Motivation
Logan said: “I have psoriasis myself and I know what it’s like to wake up and feel a bit embarrassed and down about my skin, so I wanted to raise money to make sure The Psoriasis Association can continue doing the amazing work they do. I also want to inspire other people with the condition to be confident and show that there are ways to manage psoriasis and have a good quality of life.”
“I had initially planned to hitchhike the whole way across the country, but throughout the course of my trip, I ended up meeting some wonderful people who were interested in what I was attempting to do and why. Once we’d got talking, they were more than happy to support with money for transport, or tickets for Greyhound buses, which was incredible. It was a challenge to rely mainly on the kindness of strangers, but I wanted to shine a positive light and show the world there are still some good people out there.”
Charity Impact
The Psoriasis Association is a national charity that provides a free helpline and works hard to support people living with the skin condition across the UK. Amy Ball, from The Psoriasis Association, said: “Logan’s journey is a brilliant example of how people living with psoriasis can help start conversations and support others living with the condition. As a small charity, we rely heavily on fundraisers to run our free helpline and raise awareness of the condition across the UK. We’re so grateful to Logan for taking on such a unique challenge - the funds and awareness he has raised will make a huge difference.”
Anyone who would like to support the fundraiser or read more about his journey can still view Logan's official JustGiving page online.
