Mark Cannan, 34, gave up drinking to raise money for cancer charity Bloodwise.
Mark said: “It’s been torture, I enjoy a glass of wine or two in the evening when I’ve had a stressful day at work and I haven’t been able to do that for a year.
“The most difficult part of it for me was not drinking at Christmas. I couldn’t wait to hear Big Ben on New Year’s Day to have a glass of red wine.”
Mark, of Moorclose, Workington, is married to Nicola and is dad to Ellis, 12, and Aimee, 10.
He said: “I decided to do it when I met a young man called Jack Marshall at a charity event. He has mobility issues but does lots for charity.
"That day we were helping him walk up Striding Edge. It took 12 hours to walk him up there.
“But seeing his determination I decided to raise money for the same charity he was raising funds for that day. Later my wife’s cousin Jack Gibson got diagnosed with leukaemia, so that added a personal element to the challenge.”
Jack Gibson, two, of Flimby, has been fighting leukaemia for six months.
Mark, who works as an operating department practitioner at the hospitals in Whitehaven and Carlisle, initially set a target of £500 but has so far raised £5,400.
He said: “I’m really proud of myself and I can’t believe how generous people have been.
“I’ve had donations from as far as New Zealand, America and Australia.
“My friends and family were in shock when I told them I was going sober for 12 months.
“This money will go to benefit people that really need it.”
To donate to Mark’s cause visit
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