IT was in 1987 that Clive Cotton, Jon Borrill and Paul Rowlerson decided to test their mettle by walking from one end of the island to the other. Now in its 20th year, the Bermuda End-to-End has generated millions of dollars for approximately 80 organisations across the island with one aim in common — to improve the lives of others.

CLIVE Cotton, Jon Borrill and Paul Rowlerson had no idea that the simple challenge they laid 20 years ago would become the island’s largest fundraising event — drawing thousands of participants and raising millions of dollars for charities along the way.The first Bermuda End-to-End was held in 1987. It drew the support of 186 participants and a host of co-workers and friends whose continued efforts enable the event’s annual success. It also drew the interest of the trio’s employer. Johnson & Higgins, one of the predecessors of Marsh’s Captive Solutions group in Bermuda, became a major supporter, lending its assistance and encouragement from the early stages.

“Twenty years ago, while I guess having a beer, they mused whether it was possible to walk the entire island in one day,” said Eugene Carmichael, a colleague who was drafted as a volunteer in the early stages. “While they were thinking about it — and having come to the conclusion that they were prepared to do it — they also decided (to) see if they could get anybody to go with them.”

Mr. Carmichael was quick to spot the potential.

“I thought, ‘Let’s make this worthwhile. Let’s see whether we can raise money for charity’. At that time in our history, fundraising for charities typically raised small amounts of money — $500 here, $1,000 there. That year we raised $30,000.”

Everyone was shocked.

“We said, ‘Oh my God, what is this? What have we tapped into?’ The rest, as they say, is history.”

Since then, the Bermuda End-to-End has raised more than $2 million, which has been spread between approximately 80 charities.

A Bermudian, Mr. Carmichael was “intimately involved” with the committee for 12 years. He was forced to step aside in 1999, when he emigrated with his family to Spain.

“I have come back and seen the End-to-End grow to what it is today and it is jaw-dropping. It is a wonderful giant of fundraising,” he said, before predicting its continued success. “I think there’s something called the End-to-End spirit. It’s infectious and it makes people want to join. It’s a walk for health, fitness and charity. Incidentally, we don’t call it charity in Spain we call it solidarity, because charity sounds like you’re giving something away when in actual fact all of the recipients (in the Bermuda End-to-End) are fully-involved, fully-engaged. They help to make it happen. So it’s not so much charity as it is solidarity within causes.

“But it truly is an infectious spirit that makes you want to be a part of it. It’s giving back something to the community. It is important. I like to think that (the effort) probably isn’t even noticed but if it wasn’t there, then we’d certainly notice it.”

In acknowledgement of the 20th anniversary of the first End-to-End, Marsh’s Bermuda Captive Solutions team is to host a cocktail reception honouring Mr. Rowlerson, Mr. Cotton and Mr. Borrill. The trio has since left the island but will return for this weekend’s celebrations.

“For the last eight years Marsh itself has not been involved but there are many (former Johnson & Higgins employees) who are still on our staff who participate in some way, most of the time,” said Marsh’s Katie Booth. She explained how the company had allowed staff full run of one of its rooms to facilitate the End-to-End in its early stages. Measuring approximately 20 by 26 feet, it typically overflowed with “t-shirts, participant numbers, posters” and related items.

“The room was in chaos for about a week leading up to the actual event. There were boxes stacked all over the place, there were numbers scattered, paper clips, rubber bands....but it was fun. There were only about ten people involved at the time and it was a lot of fun.”

Other staff members manned water stops and the finish and starting lines, getting to St. George’s “real early to sign up those people who didn’t pre-register”.

“It was a massive job,” she admitted.

Another Marsh staff member, Jill Husbands, agreed.

“(Mr. Rowlerson, Mr. Cotton and Mr. Borrill’s challenge) instigated the beginnings of the first End-to-End, which was run out of our offices with the help of staff members and their friends and family for many years,” she said. “Today we commend their tremendous efforts and recognise the important contribution they have made to the community. The 20th anniversary of the End-to-End event has come full circle, connecting the past to the present.”

Mr. Rowlerson was just as pleased with the event’s development in their absence.

“We have been amazed at the energy and commitment of the End-To-End committee that has nurtured and developed the End-to-End far beyond its initial beginnings,” he said. “The committee and the thousands upon thousands of people who have walked, paddled, cycled, canoed, ridden, and wheel-chaired the event are the ones who keep this alive. The End-To-End has become part of the Bermuda calendar, raising huge amounts of money and helping so many Bermuda charities> I am especially pleased to be a part of the 20th anniversary of the End-to-End. Who can guess what the next 20 years will bring?”

A bright forecast was predicted by Stephen Davidson who today sits on the Bermuda End-to-End board.

“It’s funny with the End-to-End. A big part of it is the physical challenge, but a lot of people aren’t daunted by the walk at all because it has so many positive aspects to it. There’s the fundraising, there’s the purely social aspects of it — you see groups of families and friends who are literally chatting their way down Bermuda and you see people who come out to the side of the railway trails and so forth just to wave at people as they go by.

“I think that’s something that really attracts people who get involved in it whether as a participant or as an organiser or a sponsor. It’s something that really ties into the community aspect of Bermuda. I think it’s quite an amazing event and now it’s become an institution. Twenty years going and there doesn’t appear to be a waning in support for it.”

Schoolchildren and women comprised the greatest number of participants, he added.

“Teenagers last year made up a significant proportion of the crowd, 35 per cent maybe. They either walk the Middle-to-End or do the entire End-to-End in relays. There’s a lot of spirit. They definitely are having a good time out there.”

Today the event typically sees thousands of participants travel the island - and not just on their feet. Despite his commitment to the cause, Mr. Davidson admitted he’s yet to tackle the full End-to-End.

“I’ve walked the Middle to End quite a few times but never as part of the event,” he said. “Typically on event day it’s all hands on deck. We’re all racing around to make sure things go smoothly. It’s something. The End-to-End has become such a big undertaking that it requires pretty much a full year of planning now to carry it off smoothly.

“As a result, the Board has grown. We’ve tried to specialise areas of focus amongst the people so it can be documented and so we learn from each year’s experience. Two years ago it rained for the start of the event. We were all thinking it would be a terrible train wreck, that nobody would come. We were all amazed.

“Everybody came. The volunteers went straight to their places in the pouring rain. And when the sun came out everybody’s spirit was so high. We see that kind of commitment a lot, particularly with the route marshals. We now have quite a few sub events — there’s the End-to-End, the Middle-to-End, there’s the bicycling — which is now three different routes — the kayaking and the swimming.

“It requires them to be in the street a lot in terms of helping people deal with the stretches of road where there’s no sidewalks and so forth — and a lot of the road marshals have a real feeling of commitment. Even if we haven’t heard from them, they’re at the same corner they’ve been on for ten years on event day.”

Last year saw more than 2,200 participants. According to Mr. Davidson, support looks equally as promising this year.

“I think we registered 300 people yesterday. That’s basically a registration more or less every minute through the working day. And it will be that way every day straight through this week.

“Even though people aren’t registered in this way if you know the people — and Bermuda being what it is, looking at the list you can piece it together — you see that there are a lot of family groupings. Statistics won’t show that but if you’re there on event day and you see the crowds go by, that’s one of the things that I think is very fun about the walk.”

Added Mr. Carmichael: “We really have to give thanks to the original sponsors. J&H was the first major sponsor and the MarketPlace was probably the second. Without (them) there simply would not have been a 20 year anniversary of Bermuda End-to-End.

“It goes back to this thing I call the spirit of End to End — I think the people who are associated, affected, indoctrinated by the End-to-End go on to do other things here in Bermuda or (elsewhere).”

Participants in the 2007 Bermuda End-to-End will raise money for five charities — the Bermuda Autism Support and Education Society, Open Airways, Meals on Wheels, Raleigh International and Keep Bermuda Beautiful. For registration information or other details regarding the event, visit www.bermudaendtoendbm.