Zombie Walk founder Jamie Chapman led this year’s charity walk, in aid of Birmingham Children’s Hospital (Photograph: Birmingham Zombies)
The ‘living dead’ took to the streets of Birmingham this weekend for the annual Zombie Walk, in a bid to raise money for the Birmingham Children’s Hospital.
Thousands of people crowded into the ‘zombie-ready’ Centenary Square on Saturday morning and excitement buzzed through the city as people from far and wide, queued up to become ‘zombie-fied’ by special effects make-up artists all volunteering their time for the cause.
The charity fundraising event was held in Centenary Square on Saturday 13th September and included a mass march around the city centre, complete with blank stares, a lot of groaning and grunting, all while slow-walking.
Free Radio presenter Adam Wilbourn hosted the show and was joined by event founder Jamie Chapman and Birmingham Children Hospital patient Rafe Walker (Photograph: Birmingham Zombies)
The Birmingham Zombie Walk, which was supported by Free Radio and the aptly-named Hollywood Monster, was organised by Birmingham Zombies in conjunction with the Birmingham Children’s Hospital (BCH) in a bid to raise much needed funds for the charity’s vital medical work.
Participating ‘zombies’ marched through Birmingham city centre, seen here walking through New Street, passing the Bullring and Pallasades shopping centres (Photograph: Birmingham Zombies)
The Zombie Walk moving through Victoria Square with banners promoting the Birmingham Children’s Hospital (Photograph: Birmingham Zombies)
This year’s event was the sixth since its inception in 2009 by founder Jamie Chapman, now aged 24. The young award-winning entrepreneur and charity fundraiser, from Sutton Coldfield, said:
“It was overwhelming to see such a huge amount of people turn up to raise money for Birmingham Children’s Hospital this year. The event has just got bigger and bigger over the years, to a point where we had to move it into Centenary Square to hold it for 2014.”
“The Zombie Walk in Birmingham has always been a huge team effort and this year was no exception. The events team, volunteers and make-up artists all contributed massively to this year’s event, as did our partners Free Radio and Hollywood Monster. I would like to say a huge thank you to everyone that has helped build this event up over the years, from a small zombie event in a park to the huge event we saw over the weekend. I’m very proud to be from Birmingham.”
SFX make-up artist Jo Davies alongside professional zombie Colin Murtagh, who travelled from Bristol to join the Birmingham Zombie Walk (Photograph: Birmingham Zombies)
Hosted by Free Radio presenter Adam Wilbourn, the family fun day included an attempt to capture the largest Zombie ‘selfie’, as well as numerous fairground games, food stalls and elaborate make-up and costume creations to help generate more cash for the children’s charity, which aimed to raise £15,000 from the event.
Zombies join Adam Wilbourn, Jamie Chapman and Rafe Walker on stage (Photograph: Birmingham Zombies)
The event was also attended by teenage hospital patient Rafe Walker, whose inoperable brain tumour has been treated by hospital staff and doctors for most of his life and has now recently become operable.
Speaking on the main stage, Rafe told the crowds:
“My brain tumour was inoperable and I had to go through surgery in 2008 and the Birmingham Children’s Hospital just helped us so much through that. I had to have a second operation last March and thanks to all the help from the nurses, staff and my neurosurgeon Dr. Solanki, I’m all better now. Thanks to all the fundraising efforts that have happened in the last few years, it means my brain tumour now is now operable because of all the research and new equipment now available due to fundraising.”
The Birmingham Zombie Walk was supported by the aptly-named Hollywood Monster, whose mascot is seen here with event volunteers Claire Louise and Daniel Howell (Photograph: Birmingham Zombies)
Zombie participants enjoying the charity fundraising event in Centenary Square (Photograph: Birmingham Zombies)
‘Zombies’ enjoying the charity Zombie Walk in Centenary Square (Photograph: Birmingham Zombies)
Also roaming among the ‘deceased’ was local BBC Doctors star Lorna Laidlaw, who joined hundreds of others in making a donation to the charity to have a special Zombie make-over.
Birmingham actress and star of BBC show ‘Doctors’ Lorna Laidlaw gets Zombied up alongside fellow actor Vimal Korpal at the Birmingham Zombie Walk (Photographs: Hannah Deathridge)
Enormous effort was displayed in the form of costumes from members of the public and the atmosphere was lively enough to pull almost anyone out of their grave, with games and music playing during the preparation. The resident DJ’s clever music selection even managed to get over a thousand zombies dancing to the The Rocky Horror Picture Show musical number ‘Time Warp’, truly capturing the family-fun atmosphere on the day.
The fundraising total from the Birmingham Zombie Walk is expected to be announced by the Birmingham Children’s Hospital before the end of the month.
Donations to the Birmingham Children’s Hospital as part of the Zombie Walk can still be made online or via text. Simply TEXT ‘ZOMB88′ and ‘£2′, ‘£5′, ‘£10′ or ‘£20′ to 70070.
.
Hannah Deathridge
.
.
