Pals up to monkey business on big run
AGLOBAL ambassador for a charity will be getting up to some monkey business - when he takes on the Three Peaks Challenge in a gorilla suit.
Jon Howell, 35, from Heaton Moor, will climb Snowdon, Ben Nevis and Sca Fell Pike – in Wales, Scotland and England respectively – in one weekend in the animal outfit.
He has been appointed global ambassador for the Gorilla Organisation and is hoping to raise money and awareness of the creature’s plight.
There are only 880 mountain gorillas left in the wild and they are in just three countries Rwanda, Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Jon, who will undertake the challenge with three pals, said: “I wanted to do something to raise awareness that hadn’t already been done.
“And I thought if we are trying to help mountain gorillas then why not climb some mountains dressed as a gorilla?
“Hopefully when people see us they will want to stop us and ask what we are doing and we can tell them about the cause.
“In these outfits we don’t want it to get too hot but it will be worse if it rains as they get very heavy. I’m not looking forward to how it will smell on the second day.”
Joining Jon on his trek, on July 1 and 2, will be Chris Thomson, 35, from Heaton Mersey, Lee Metcalfe, 33, from Cheadle, and Paul Breaden, 35, from London.
They are aiming to raise £500 for the Gorilla Organisation.
Jon, of St Albans Avenue, visits Africa to run markets and help boost tourism and while on a trip to Uganda went to see the gorillas in the mountains.
He then began raising money for the charity by donning a gorilla suit.
Events he has completed include the Great Manchester Run and the Gorilla Run, which is 8km along the River Thames in London and an event he will take part in again in September.
This work led the charity to ask him to become an ambassador.
It works to increase gorilla numbers, which are threatened by deforestation and poaching.
Jon said: “Seeing the gorillas was an incredible experience but they are incredibly close to being extinct and need a lot of work to stop this.”
To donate visit www. justgiving.com/fundraising/gorillatrekkers.