Walking in memory of my dad Vincent Stephenson

Hi all, I know that people usually set up a page in advance of their endeavour to raise money for charity, however this idea only came about yesterday! Tomorrow, I will continue the Camino walk from a small town called Puenta lá Reina in Spain where I finished walking back in April. I will walk to Santiago de Compostela hopefully by September 26th which is a very significant date for me as this is the day my dad died suddenly 10 years ago due to alcoholism. That day, it was as if the ground had been taken from under my feet. This time, with my feet firmly on the ground I will finish it and I will walk in memory of my dad.  By setting up this page I would like to raise awareness and money to support the work of AA - Alcoholics Anonymous. This is a charity that supports both men and women achieve sobriety and guide them on the path of recovery. I would love to play a small part in ensuring that this goal is achieved. Alcoholism is a crushing disease that can cause the break down of relationships and families and of the individuals themselves. My wish is for people not to feel isolated, alone or shame with this disease as I once felt. My wish is that they feel supported, loved and guided on their path of recovery and healing - both the individuals affected and their families as they are often left with the same pain and hurt. Although this is a very personal reason to walk the Camino, alcoholism affects many people in our world, even you who are reading this whether it's a friend or close family member. Due to the sudden death of my dad, no one was able to give him a voice with a eulogy as we were all left voiceless ourselves at the time. Over the next month, I will walk in his honour to give him back the dignity and a voice that every human deserves when they leave this world. One day I may write one, but for now I will walk. Walking has helped me heal the intense pain I once felt but so has music! So, I may partially dance my way across Spain as Dad loved to boogie!  When I return home in October I will organise a yoga & coffee morning to help raise funds further. In the meantime, I'll be putting one foot in front of the other each day celebrating my dad's life and mine too in his memory. Thank you for taking the time to read this. I would be very grateful if you could support me on this special journey. Much love, Ciara X