Children’s run for cancer breaks record

THE 40th Children’s Cancer Run saw a record-breaking £300,000 raised to help sick children in the North East.

The charity run which takes place at Newcastle Racecourse marked its anniversary last year and saw an astonishing amount raced to support research and treatment tackling heartbreaking childhood cancer.

The event saw 10,000 runners and spectators at the racecourse last May, with more vital cash contributed through the Children’s Cancer Run at School programme, too.

The first Children’s Cancer Run was held in the early 1980s when Chris Peacock was diagnosed with cancer – and during his treatment his friends and family rallied around at King’s School in Tynemouth. Decades on, Chris is chair of trustees at Children’s Cancer North which runs the event.

To mark the massive fundraising effort, children who took part met Chris at the Wolfson Childhood Cancer Research Centre in Newcastle to hand over a huge cheque. Rockcliffe First School was this year’s beneficiary of the Sandy Weir Memorial Trophy – presented to a school for going “above and beyond” to support the charity.

Chris said: “The Children’s Cancer Run is our biggest fundraising event of the year. It represents nearly a third of our annual fundraising target, and it’s grown to become one of the largest and most loved mass participation events in the region.

“Every year we welcome around 10,000 runners and spectators to Newcastle Racecourse to help raise hundreds of thousands of pounds to support children and families affected by cancer. We also partner with schools across the North East and Cumbria as part of our Children’s Cancer Run At School programme to help raise awareness of childhood cancer and raise even more funds within the region’s communities.

“We’re able to invest in world-leading research here in Newcastle that improves the diagnosis and treatment of cancer in children and young people locally and internationally. We’re also able to raise awareness of the disease and help more than 100 children and families diagnosed with cancer in the North East and Cumbria every year.”

He said he wanted to say a “huge, heartfelt thank you” to all the Children’s Cancer Run’s supporters. Rockcliffe First School has supported the Children’s Cancer Run since 2014 in loving memory of pupil Will Woods.

Will’s family set up The Good Will Cause to raise funds for Children’s Cancer North, and the wider school community has been involved in the cause ever since.

YOUNGSTERS

HELP RAISE

MORE THAN

£300K FOR

CHARITY

Children present a £300,000 check to Chris Peacock - trustee of Children’s Cancer North - after helping fundraise at the Children’s Cancer Run