Inspiring Karen earns award for 20 years of races
AGLASGOW woman is being honoured for 20 years of running in the Race for Life. Tesco Bank employee Karen Lappin has taken part in the charity run every year, and her colleagues at the Glasgow branch have nominated her for the Tesco Race for Life Hero Awards.
Karen’s nominaton comes as Tesco celebrates a 20-year partnership with Cancer Research, having raised over £60 million since 2002.
The dedicated mum-of-two is nominated in the Repeat Racer category, and has raced while pregnant and taken her children with her to events.
Karen’s fight to raise money began when she tragically lost her father to cancer when she was 17, and she took part in the Glasgow race that year.
The awards are Tesco’s contrubtion to recognising the hard work of employees and others in running and raising funds.
Tesco’s UK and Ireland CEO Jason Tarry said: “Celebrating 20 years of partnership with Cancer Research UK and Race for Life is a momentous occasion for everyone at Tesco. More than 400,000 colleagues and customers have taken part in Race for Life events and we hope it can continue for many more years to come.
“Hearing Karen’s story is remarkable and she is an inspiration to all of our colleagues at Tesco. She has always encouraged her team to get involved and take part. We’re happy to reward this level of passion for positivity and commitment for fundraising.”
The popular events, which include 3K, 5K, 10K, Pretty Muddy and Pretty Muddy Kids, were cancelled in 2020 due to the pandemic. But now with new social distancing measures, the races have returned.
Michelle Mitchell, Cancer Research UK’s chief executive, said: “We’re thrilled to be celebrating this partnership milestone with Tesco.
“The success of our partnership over the last 20 years has been thanks to the support Tesco colleagues, customers and suppliers have given Race for Life, and we want to say a huge thank you to them for their unwavering dedication and commitment.
“All the money raised will help fund vital research to save more lives, and we hope everyone feels incredibly proud of this achievement.”