THERE is still time for people wanting to get involved in a charity race to bring state of the art breast cancer equipment to the area.
Uttoxeter’s MP Andrew Griffiths, pupils from Thomas Alleyne’s High School and The Uttoxeter Lions Club have all thrown their support behind the SHERGAR — Run for Home to be held on Saturday.
It is a sponsored event where groups of three or four people, ideally in fancy dress, will meet at the Dove Bank high school’s Bradley Street entrance, at 8am where buses will take them away to start the challenge.
They will be taken up to 100 miles away to an undisclosed location and they have to return to base without spending any money, or using mobile phones to ring for lifts, and using only their wit and initiative.
The event has been organised by the Uttoxeter Friends of the Burton Breast Care Unit to raise vital funds for the facility at Queen’s Hospital, in Belvedere Road, Burton.
It is the culmination of the work of the group, which started as a small group of professionals from Uttoxeter raising money for breast cancer patients and it has become an effort involving the entire town.
The group is aiming to raise enough money to purchase equipment which enables reconstructive surgery to be undertaken in East Staffordshire, instead of patients having to travel to Selly Oak Hospital, in Birmingham.
Carolyn Green, fund-raiser, said: “We are still wanting people to get involved as it will be great fun and we are looking forward to it.
“It is a community challenge that will be good for the town. The Uttoxeter Lions Club are wanting to make it a yearly event, which they will take over after this year, and donate money to different charities.
“We have already had donations from people unable to take part. Richard Clarke School had a dress down day and the Inner Wheel has made a donation.
“It is a very emotive cause and people can still put in a last minute team.
“We are asking people to come along and dress in pink on the day.” The women from Indulgence, in the Market Place, will be getting in on the action by wearing pink and carrying collection buckets and some of the shops in the town centre will be dressing up their windows.
Members have organised various fund-raising initiatives, such as a bucket collection at Uttoxeter Racecourse and non-uniform days at the school, but the largest initiative is the SHERGAR — Run for Home.
More information and application forms to take part in the event are available at www.runforhome.co.uk.
