Volunteers prepare for Step-A-Thon challenge

SOME 40 volunteers are preparing to take a minimum of 10,000 steps a day to raise money for the Help Those With Cancer Association (Tulips) during October’s Step-A-Thon challenge — with one targeting a million paces during the month.

Sponsorship requests are being made by the potential “steppers” who will begin the third annual “Stepping Out” challenge on Monday to coincide with Breast Cancer Awareness Month, also known as Pink October.

For this year’s event, regular stepper Auriana Stevens — who last year clocked-up 701,000 — has a self-imposed target of completing one million steps in memory of those she has personally lost through cancer and as a practical way of helping those suffering from the disease.

Mrs Stevens has two daughters who both had skin cancer scares, while her husband Kevin lost both his parents and grandparents to cancer. A keen supporter of Tulips, she regularly donates a proportion of money to the charity from a stall that she has been running for 10 years.

Meanwhile, Sue Tilt, one of the brains behind challenge with Carole King, is aiming to walk 500,000 steps during the month to compensate for those that charity supporter Barbara Willbye, who is currently unwell, is unable to tackle.

There is still time to sign up for the challenge, or to obtain sponsorship forms for it, by emailing tulipscarole@yahoo.com. If required, a pedometer can be loaned to count steps taken.

A COFFEE morning is also be held as part of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, beginning at 11am on Friday at Lapta’s Olive Press bar and restaurant. Proceeds from the coffee and cake event will be split equally between the UK’s Macmillan Cancer Support and Tulips. Raffle prizes are needed and arrangements for them to be donated can be made by calling 0533 866 8993.