Kentish Express Ashford & District
Girls beat target on 100-mile challenge
Two 10-year-old schoolgirls will have plenty of stories to tell to classmates about their summer holidays after taking on a 100mile walking, cycling and swimming challenge.
Maddie Delaney and Violet Hopkinson, both from Wye, are taking on the physical challenges to raise funds for the charity Brain Tumour Research and for people affected by Multiple Sclerosis (MS).
Maddie wants to raise money in memory of her aunt Esca, who died at the age of 13 after a battle with a tumour. Meanwhile Violet is supporting the MS Centre in Letchworth, which helps her grandmother Nora.
Together they had hoped to raise £500, but have since smashed their initial target by raising more than £1,500. Now they hope to raise even more money which will then be split equally between the two causes.
Maddie’s mum Sidonie Delaney said: “Esca was the same age as the girls when she was first diagnosed with a brain tumour and after surgery and lots of radiotherapy and chemotherapy the tumour returned and she died when she was just 13 years old.
“She was also an amazing fund- raiser, even when she was incredibly poorly. She was an inspiration to so many people when we were younger and showed great strength in fighting such a horrible disease.
“I’m so proud of Maddie and Violet for taking on such a wonderful challenge in memory of my sister.”
The girls’ efforts have also been praised by Brain Tumour Research’s community fundraising manager Tim Green.
He said: “We are extremely grateful to both the girls for their support and taking on such a challenge.
“Brain tumours kill more children and adults under the age of 40 than any other cancer, yet just 1% of the national spend on cancer research has been allocated to this devastating disease.
“The money raised by the girls will help to fund amazing work at our four centres of excellence, where world-leading research into the causes of brain tumours and improving treatments is taking place. We wish Maddie and Violet all the best with their amazing challenge.”
To donate to the girls’ cause visit www.virginmoneygiving. com/team/100milesummer.