Anderson Walk Raises Funds For Russ Ford
[Written by Stephen Wright]
Community activist Mark Anderson said he was “overwhelmed” by the generosity of those who donated money during his charity trek from St George’s to Dockyard to help Russ Ford, a former nurse of the year who helped increase HIV/Aids awareness in Bermuda in the 1980s.
Mr Anderson, who performs as Sybil Barrington, the Queen of Bermuda, said the 7 and a half hour walk raised more than $1,000 for Mr Ford, the founder of Agape House, who suffered life-changing injuries after a fall at his home in February.
Mr Ford’s family and friends hope to raise $200,000 via a GoFundMe page to help cover his medical expenses and purchase necessary equipment, such as a motorised wheelchair and a bed for those with spinal injuries.
They have raised about $50,000 for the 64-year-old, who has health insurance and is receiving specialised treatment in Arizona.
Mr Anderson, who began his walk in King’s Square, St George’s, at 6.00am, met Mr Ford when the pair worked at St Brendan’s Hospital, now the Mid-Atlantic Wellness Institute [MWI], in 1982, describing him as a “living legend.”
He told Bernews, “I saw first-hand how Russ dealt with the AIDS epidemic. He watched as countless people died from the virus.
“He was always compassionate and didn’t care what race, religion, gender or sexual orientation you were.
“He really helped educate the island about AIDS because there was a real fear in the community that the virus was contagious. You had some families and churches ostracising people because they had contracted the virus.
“When I learned about his accident, I wanted to do something to help. I wanted to show him the same amount of love he gave the community.
“His motto is, ‘as long as man has life, let him live’. Russ has lived by that motto.”
Mr Anderson, who was joined on his walk by Mr Ford’s brother-in-law Bob Smith, and E. Michael Jones, the former mayor of St George’s, added, “I want to thank everybody who came out and showed their love during the walk.
“I had people bring me fruit and water, making sure I was hydrated. Their kindness touched me.”
Several fundraising initiatives are ongoing for Mr Ford, including the Wild Edible Herbal Tour on Friday [April 7] at Cooper’s Island Nature Reserve and Clearwater Beach from 11.00am to 1.45pm.
Donations can be made at www.gofundme.com/f/medical-assistance-for-russ-a-ford or via HSBC Bank account No 010-246791-011 in the name of Carmalita Simmons.
