Scottish musician’s 3,000-mile World Cup journey raises funds for Northampton-based charity
Thanks to supporters back home in Scotland, a musician who travelled 3,000 miles across the US to reach Scotland’s first World Cup match in almost 30 years has now raised over £1,500 for The Psoriasis Association, a UK charity based in Northampton.
Logan Gilmartin, from Perth, travelled solo from San Francisco to Boston in time to see Scotland play Haiti in their first match of the tournament. He relied largely on ‘the kindness of strangers’ to get across the country, trying his hand at hitchhiking, overnight buses, and even an open mic night to raise travel funds.
While attending Scotland’s highly anticipated opening match was a major motivation, Logan’s primary goal was to ‘raise money and awareness’ for The Psoriasis Association, a UK charity he has described as ‘amazing’.
Talking about his experience, 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.”
Amy Ball, Communications and Engagement Lead at The Psoriasis Association, added: “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.”
Logan’s JustGiving page is still available to view - https://www.justgiving.com/page/logan-gilmartin-1