In 1987 no one walked from one end of the Island to the other unless they were without transportation or training for a marathon.

However, one of the many rainy, quiet weekends during a Bermuda winter, however, inspired three co-workers to come-up with a challenge.

Clive Cotton, Jon Borrill and Paul Rowlerson, who worked at Johnson & Higgins, a predecessor of Marsh’s Captive Solutions group, decided, while Phillip Simpson, a friend, was running from Somerset to St. George’s, they would try to walk it.

When they planned a training walk from Barnes Corner in Somerset to Dockyard and 60 people showed up merely by word of mouth, the three realised there was more to their idea. And what started off with three co-workers in the basement of their company has grown to an annual charity event, which has raised $2.25 million since it started in 1988.

Mr. Cotton said: “When it started we didn’t think it would be anything of significance. The first year I was surprised there were even 186 walkers. The concept of pledges then was as bets — will this person actually make it all the way. I was amazed by how many people there were. I though there would be only ten or 12.”

Mr. Rowlerson said: “It was Jon who said lets raise money for charity. Of course the accountant though of that.”

What started with these three men, however, turned into a company effort. Charlotte Powell, Katie Booth and Valerie Diel have all been volunteers since the first year and all worked at Johnson & Higgins.

Ms. Booth said: “Everyone helped out when it was at J&H. Because everyone worked together there was real peer pressure to get involved. For the month of April there was no work done just End-to-End stuff.”

Anne Mello, current Chairperson of the End-to-End, said: “We gave Brian Hall, the CEO of J&H the honorary End-to-End award last year because before social corporate responsibility was a buzz word, J&H was giving back.

The event, which initially took about three months to organise, began with an outpouring of help and support from the community.

Everyone along the route opened their doors for bathrooms stops, held impromptu water stops in their backyards and Mr. Cotton actually convinced a friend to set-up a sandwhich pit-stop.

The walk, however, has gained notoriety in the international press being featured on the CBS Morning show in 1994, an article in SHAPE in 2005 and on CNN.

Though the walk has expanded from 186 walkers to over 2,000, included kayakers, swimmers and rowers — the spirit and the philosophy behind the walk has not changed — it is about the people organising it, walking it and getting helped by it.

As recognition for an event, which has become a major fundraiser for charities on the Island, the three founders were awarded a Founding Father award on Friday afternoon.