Snow dogs sculpture trail raises £60k for hospice

BBC A sculpture of a golden snow dog stood outside the Buxton CrescentBBC
The snow dogs trail was created to raise money Blythe House Hospice in High Peak

A sculpture trail of snow dogs has raised £60,000 at auction for a Derbyshire hospice.

A total of 12 snow dogs, inspired by the sequel to Raymond Briggs's The Snowman, The Snowman and the Snowdog, were dotted around prominent places in Buxton between 19 October and 15 December.

All the sculptures were then sold to the highest bidder at the town's Palace Hotel, on 19 December, raising £60,124 for Blythe House Hospice, in High Peak.

A Blythe House spokesperson said they are "absolutely overwhelmed" with the amount of money raised from the auction.

A sculpture of a cartoon snow dog stood outside Spring Gardens in Buxton
A festive "Ru-dog" stood at Spring Gardens in Buxton during the trail

The snow dogs could be found outside the Crescent, the Opera House, the Palace Hotel and in Pavilion Gardens in the town.

Money was also raised from sales of a trail map costing £1, which showed where all the sculptures were.

The trail was created by the company Wild in Art, which is based in Whaley Bridge in Derbyshire.

"This heart-warming event has been nothing short of magical, spreading love, joy, and laughter to over 40,000 thousand people, locally and beyond", said the hospice.

A scultpure of a cartoon snow dog placed outside of Buxton Opera House
The snow dog placed outside Buxton Opera House was gifted to the hospice, following the auction

Rebecca Gregory, Fundraising Manager at Blythe House Hospice, said the auction was a "truly unforgettable" evening.

"We are so thankful to everyone who participated — local residents, businesses, and visitors from across the UK—for helping make this event such a success", said Ms Gregory.

"This initiative will go down in history as a milestone event for Blythe House Hospice, allowing us to extend our care to even more individuals in need."

Ms Gregory added that someone gifted a snowdog back to the charity after purchasing one at the auction.

"We are very fortunate that one of our supporters purchased the snow dog that was on display outside the Opera House, which will now be remain at Blyth House."

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