I walked over 650 degree hot embers on Friday by Chloe Sears
Reading that sentence back feels unreal, but nothing can be as crazy as walking through fire, right?
Wrong. I watched what looked like a man’s leg catch fire as he walked over hot coals on Friday night, and he didn’t even flinch. Furthermore, I willingly walked over the same hot coals after watching his leg catch fire right in front of me.
But it was for a good cause!
To raise money for North Ealing Primary School, The Firewalk Experience hosted a charity event on school grounds (lighting a fire on school grounds was also very surreal).
It’s amazing what people will come together to do.
It’s also amazing what people will do at all. I never imagined in my wildest dreams that my time abroad in London would include walking through fire in a primary school, but you only live once, right? That’s what I told myself right before I stepped onto the coals.
Working and walking this event with two of my fellow college-aged interns was an adventure, to say the least. I heard a few parents and teachers get a kick out of seeing us put down our cameras and take off our shoes to walk over hot coals and then get back to work like it was nothing at all.
But it was not, in fact, nothing at all. Between sponsorship, gift aid, ticket sales and vendors, participants raised around £11,000 for North Ealing Primary School (when adding money from tickets, food and sponsors).
This is the most money the school has ever raised, and it will go toward redoing playgrounds for children, including fixing the current set-up and buying more equipment for the site.
On average, the PTA raises around £8,000 per year. With an event like this one, and all the incredible people who got involved, we reached our goals and then some.
Beginning with a target of £5,000, the fundraising marker has only gone up as the wonderful members of this incredible community donated to the cause. Congratulations to everyone for a goal well met, and for your courage to quite literally walk through fire for what you believe in.
Ready to experience a firewalk?
Whether you're looking to run a charity firewalk event, boost your team with a corporate firewalk, or take on a personal challenge — Chris Jones and The Firewalk Experience have got you covered. Get in touch today to discuss your event.
An avid writer and filmmaker from New York, Chloe is double majoring in English and Film Studies at Wesleyan University.
