Walking the walk and raising money for charity

William Cook Europe’s Marianne Bangshøj traveled El Camino for a children’s helpline

Walking El Camino de Santiago is considered a bucket list activity for many people, and thousands make the walk every year.

Originally, El Camino (or “The Way of St. James”) was responsible for one of the largest movements of people across Europe. Pilgrims would make the long journey to the magnificent cathedral in Galicia’s Santiago de Compostela in northern Spain, in search of a way to reduce their time in purgatory. To this day, this pilgrimage captivates everyone making the journey.

El Camino is a Spanish phrase and translates to “the way” or “the journey” in English. It is said that when you walk El Camino, it is your road, your journey that you seek, walk, and find.

Walking for a cause

In September 2022, Marianne Bangshøj, an operator from William Cook Europe (WCE), walked a part of El Camino. Marianne didn’t make this first walk to reduce her time in purgatory, but to raise money for BørneTelefonen, The Children’s Phone, a helpline for children in Denmark.

The Children’s Phone is a free service for children and teens—a telephone service they can call anonymously and ask for comfort, advice, or guidance, or maybe simply to talk to an adult. Everyday volunteers will answer the phones and listen to whomever calls. The Children’s Phone is a humanitarian organization that has existed since 1977, and its main purpose is to help stop the neglect of children.

This cause is one close to Marianne’s heart, being a former teacher. Marianne’s goal was to raise 15,000 DKK, approximately $2,100 USD. With great help from her colleagues at WCE, and a donation from WCE, Marianne was able to raise 26,000 DKK ($3,633 USD).

“The team and I have been completely blown away by the donations ticking in from my colleagues at Cook in Denmark,” Marianne said. “Thank you all very much.”

Marianne didn’t walk alone. More than 100 people from Denmark walked the Camino for the Children’s Phone just like Marianne, and together they raised more than two million Danish kroners, or $279,466 USD—twice as much as expected or hoped.

“It is only just beginning to dawn on me how amazing it all was—on every level, personally and collectively, to participate in this joint project and to contribute, so that even more children and young people can get help,” Marianne said.

Feeling the magic

El Camino is a network of pilgrim’s roads leading to the Spanish town Santiago de Compostela, where tradition holds that the apostle Saint James is buried. It has been a pilgrimage since the early 9th century and was a major medieval pilgrimage route.

“Thousands of pilgrims have walked El Camino,” Marianne said. “It was a very special experience to follow in their footsteps. I hoped that I would be able to feel the magic and a touch of history. I hoped that I could do something for others at the same time. I could, and I feel that I did just that.”

Today, the apostle James is the patron saint of pilgrims, and the main routes of the Camino are designated as world cultural heritage site by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). There is a tradition of putting a large shell onto your clothes or walking stick when you have reached Santiago de Compostela.

Marianne walked the Portuguese Camino, the pilgrimage route starting in Portugal and leading up to Santiago de Compostela from the south. She walked with the Danish team “South of Zealand.”

“Our trip started just over 100 km (a little over 60 miles) from Santiago de Compostela in the city of Vigo. The terrain was a mixture of country roads, gravel paths, forest, cobblestones, and some steep climbs, and we passed through many small villages, vineyards, and authentic environments—every day in sunny weather with up to 38 degrees Celsius (100 degrees Fahrenheit),” Marianne said.

“This was my first Camino, but it won’t be my last,” she said. “My heart, my backpack, and my hiking boots are ready for more trips, steep climbs, and stunning views.”

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