Special delivery: Postman delivers letter to Winnipeg home from the Galapagos Islands
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People around the world are getting surprise visits from a postman delivering messages all the way from the Galapagos Islands.
It’s part of an island tradition started in 1793. People write postcards, and leave them in a barrel for another person to hand deliver to the recipient. Often it’s someone who lives close to you, but not always. London resident Jonny Beardmore has decided to personally deliver 50 of the postcards to cities in all seven continents.
“I was looking for a new big adventure,” said Beardmore. “And I thought if could grab a whole bunch of letters and deliver them around the world. I’d get these amazing experiences. I’d get to meet a lot of people and I get to try and reconnect with the world a little bit.”
And so in March, Jonny Beardmore set out on a journey around the world to deliver them. He calls it the Galapagos Postman challenge. His journey has taken him to many exotic locations, including Antarctica, Panama, and on Thursday, Winnipeg! He’s looking for someone named Mandy, who he learned is sadly is not in Winnipeg. She’s now in B.C., a province Beardmore just left. But he’s had tough deliveries before.
“I didn’t have a clear address,” Beardmore remembers. “And it was just addressed to Steve in San Pedro, Belize! So I turned up on the island not knowing how I was going to find him.”
But with some detective work, the power of social media and help from locals he found him.
Why put so much effort into this? It’s more than just a fun adventure. Beardmore is using this quest to raise awareness and funds for ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease. The illness claimed his father’s life, and affects hundreds of thousands around the world.
“About one thousand people, just over, will be diagnosed each year,” said Tammy Moore, the CEO of the ALS Society of Canada. “And unfortunately, due to the rapid progression, most people live within two to five years. And so that means that for pretty much every person diagnosed, somebody else is passing away from this disease.”
“Their loss of and ability to talk and mobility is a major factor that affects them,” said Beardmore. “And this whole challenge involves mobility and talking, so I’m trying to shine a little light on that!”
Shining a light, one letter at a time. And that will include the Winnipeg letter. Mandy’s parents are here in Winnipeg. Jonny plans to give them the letter and talk with Mandy over the phone this weekend. After that, it’s off to the next city to deliver another letter.
You can follow along with every step of his journey. Jonny is posting on Instagram and he also has a website tracking the countries he has already been to.
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