A WREXHAM man who has embarked on an epic 3,000-mile fundraising walk across America has now passed the half-way mark of that journey.
Paul Edwards is a marathon and ultramarathon runner from Penycae who has raised thousands for Hope House over the years.
His latest challenge began on Friday, January 6 from the Pacific Coast in Ocean Beach, San Diego, California.
Paul is aiming to raise a total of £15,000 for Hope House along the way - over a period of five months before reaching the finish line at Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.
This week, he has officially passed the half-way mark as he reached Texas.
Overall, his mission will see/has seen him pass through eight other states as well as those already mentioned; Arizona, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Tennessee, Mississippi, Alabama and Georgia.
Paul has just recently crossed his fourth state line into Texas from New Mexico and has so far raised more than £6,000.
Paul said: "I’ve made it to Texas, the second largest state in America. I’m glad to have pushed on through New Mexico and by entering Texas I’ve entered another time zone.
“I’ve met some amazing people so far and have seen some great things. There have been lows too where things have gone badly, but I’ve found a way through it.
“Thank you so much to everyone who has donated so far, this is why I am doing it. Fingers crossed we can continue to raise a lot more money for Hope House and Tŷ Gobaith.”
The community of Wrexham and the surrounding areas have been getting behind Paul and have been doing their own fundraising to donate to his fund.
READ MORE: Two Buckley pubs to throw fundraiser for 2 year old with rare genetic condition
Llandegla Laser Combat is holding a special activity day on Saturday, April 22 between the hours of 11am and 2pm for a donation of £10 per person.
Janet Bancroft, who runs Llandegla Laser Combat with her partner Mark, said: “I’ve known Paul for years, and is a totally selfless person. What he’s doing is amazing. It’s not just anybody that does this kind of challenge.
“We wanted to do something to help him, kids and adults love coming to us, and what a great way to give money to charity. We also have friends that use Hope House and have seen how great a local charity it really is, so any money raised is going to an amazing cause.”
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here