17 Feb Essex friends’ half marathon fundraiser for childhood cancer
‘Team Skye’ hope to raise £1000 for Gold Geese as thank you for supporting daughter, aged 11
A group of thirteen Essex friends from Rayleigh and Leigh are taking on the challenge of the Chelmsford Half Marathon to raise vital funds for Gold Geese, a local charity supporting children and young people fighting cancer in Southend and Basildon.
‘Team Skye’ is named after Skye Harris, the 11-year-old daughter of one of runners, who is currently fighting Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia. The group are training hard for the race which will see them run 13.1 miles to raise money for Gold Geese, who have supported Skye and her family since her diagnosis in December 2021, and help fund a dream holiday for Skye to look forward to after treatment.
Gold Geese provides practical and emotional support to local families of children and young people fighting cancer. Support is tailored to each family’s needs and ranges from funding for mental health therapy and food shop vouchers to toys, weekend trips away and practical help with travel to and from hospital.
Skye’s mum, Christina Harris, from Rayleigh, says,
“Gold Geese have been there for Skye and our family right from the start of this awful nightmare and I couldn’t have done it without their continued support. They are incredible and both myself and Skye would love to give something back and to be able to help other families who are going through the same heart-breaking situation.
“I ran the London Marathon in 2021 just a few weeks before Skye was diagnosed but obviously since then, I haven’t been able to run at all as I became a full time carer overnight.
“Some of the team members are experienced runners but most are completely new to this and would do anything just to help. We are all training hard individually, along side our busy lives, fitting in runs early mornings or late at night, in all weather and I’m just so grateful to have so many incredible friends giving up their family time to help raise money for these superheroes fighting childhood cancer.”
Katie Southgate, founder of Gold Geese, says:
“We’re hugely grateful Christina and her friends are taking on the Chelmsford Half Marathon to raise funds for Gold Geese and raise awareness of childhood cancer.
“Around 1,900 children are diagnosed with cancer every year, and it causes a huge upheaval for everyone in the family – emotionally, physically and often financially, and we’re there every step of the way for local families affected.
“Our slogan is ‘We Fly Together’, because geese are a team and no one is left behind. As we receive no government funding we rely on community donations to fund our vital work, so a big thank you to Christina and her friends for helping us.”
- A donation of £20 could provide toys or comfy new pyjamas for a child with cancer staying in hospital
- £45 funds an hour’s counselling session for a bereaved family
- £280 funds a memorial bench for a child who has passed away
- £400 funds a big end of treatment celebration for friends and family
- £700 covers the cost of a weekend away for a family to offer respite
The Chelmsford Half Marathon will take place on 5th March 2023. You can sponsor Team Skye by visiting www.bit.ly/TeamSkye2023
You can also donate to Gold Geese via text. Text GOLD followed by the amount you wish to donate to 70580 (for example, GOLD 50 to donate £50). Texts cost the donation amount plus one standard network rate message.
For more information about the charity or to learn the signs and symptoms of childhood cancer visit www.goldgeese.org.
