HATHERLEIGH Walruses have raised £4,000 in sponsorship this year. They presented cheques to the Hatherleigh Silver Band, Hatherleigh Church, and Hatherleigh Festival at a presentation in the George Hotel on Saturday. The money donated to the church will go towards an appeal to buy new bell ropes. Each year the Walruses raise money by dipping into the cold River Lew on New Year's Day — this year, 34 volunteers braved the chilly waters. The event began 20 years ago, when the landlord of the Tally Ho! pub in Hatherleigh was trying to think of an unusal way of raising money for a new medical centre. Since then, it has run every year, each time with a different theme. This year's immersion had an anniversary theme — looking back over two decades of the event.
