11 May 2023
Internet sensation Hercule Van Wolfwinkle – real name Phil Heckels – will be walking a marathon on Sunday (14 May) with regular stops en route to paint unique pet portraits to raise money for charity.
Vet Times
Job Title
A fund-raiser who draws “rubbish” portraits of people’s pets will be completing a marathon with a difference to raise funds for StreetVet.
Illustrator and campaigner Phil Heckels – known to his army of fans as Hercule Van Wolfwinkle – is a long-standing supporter of the veterinary charity, which provides free veterinary care for the pets of owners who are experiencing homelessness.
And on Sunday (14 May), the Picasso of the pet world will be stepping up his fund-raising efforts for both StreetVet and local charity Turning Tides with his latest “portrait marathon” initiative.
Mr Heckels will be walking 26 miles from Worthing to Brighton and back, with regular pitstops every mile to paint his trademark pet portraits for fans and raise much-needed cash for two worthy causes.
The entire trip is expected to take around 13 hours and will see Mr Heckels walk from George V Avenue in Worthing to Madeira Drive in Brighton before heading back the way he came.
The route is highly accessible and Mr Heckels is encouraging supporters to join him on his way and at scheduled stops each mile, where they can watch his unique portrait process in person.
Joining Mr Heckels for part of the walk will be Jade Statt, clinical director and co-founder of StreetVet. She said: “We are so incredibly happy to have Hercule supporting us, his drawings are hilarious and never fail to make us laugh.
“His fund-raising efforts have been of incredible help to us and we love the idea of his portrait marathon”.
Those wanting to support the event are encouraged to join the marathon even for a mile or a stop, together with their loved four-legged pets, or to donate at fundraising.streetvet.co.uk
