'˜Man with Pram' to take on special Christmas Day walk'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹                                                                                                                         Â

While many of us will be sitting around our homes opening gifts and presents on Christmas Day, a man wearing a distinctive green wig and pushing a pram will be walking from Doncaster to Sheffield in memory of his late wife. Â

John '˜the man with the pram' Burkhill, aged 79, from Handsworth, has raised hundreds of  thousands of pounds for cancer charities since his wife June died in July 1992.

That Christmas day, 26 years ago he did the same walk, raising  more than £1,000 to help Weston Park Hospital.

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'This time his route will be from the brand new NGS Macmillan Unit at Chesterfield Royal Hospital to the Palliative Care Unit at the Northern General Hospital, Sheffield '“ setting off at 8am.

John said: 'The walk is very special to me because it is exactly 26 years ago since I walked from Doncaster to Sheffield on Christmas Day. 

'In June's memory I will be pushing my pram once again to try and raise as much as I can to help me reach that magic one million pounds for Macmillan.  

'I don't think there is a family in this country who hasn't been affected by cancer, but Macmillan are and always will be there to help each and every one of us.'

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John has completed more than 1,000 races including the London Marathon 16 times, New York Marathon and every Sheffield Half Marathon.

He has raised close to half a million pounds for Macmillan Cancer Support.

John adds, 'I know it's Christmas Day, but my family have agreed to wait for me for Christmas dinner.

'I know they probably think I'm barmy but they know what I'm like.'

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John's walk will start from NGS Macmillan Unit Chesterfield Hady Hill and then he will go along Piccadily Road, Crow Lane, Brewery Street, Holywell Street, Sheffield Road, B6057, Brimmington Road North, Sheffield Road, Main Road, Unstone Hill, Dronfield, Bowshaw, Chesterfield Road South, A61 Meadowhead, Chesterfield Road, London Road, Queens Road, Bramall Lane, Eyre Street, The Moor, Town Hall, Fargate, Castlegate, The Wicker, Spital Hill, Burngreave Road, Barnsley Road to finish at the Macmillan Palliative Care Unit Sheffield

If you would like to make a festive donation to support John's efforts online you can do this at www.justgiving.com/madwalker

Or you can buy John's autobiography called Distance No Object which is available at  Bickerton Skoda Sheffield, The Moor Market Sheffield or online at amazon.co.uk '“ search John Burkhill.