Charity challengers get their skates on
ROLLER skaters are in a spin to race thousands of miles across Europe and raise cash for charity.
Members of the community are urged to get their skates on to help in the Virtual Skate around Europe challenge taking place at MAC Activity Centre.
The aim is to skate laps of the rink to notch up 6,500 miles, with the mission being tracked on a map at the centre.
The challenge is in aid of the centre to help improve facilities but is also raising money for Manchester Adult Cystic Fibrosis Centre and Macclesfield charity Space4Autism which helps children with autism and their families.
Teams from the three organisations are getting down to the centre as often as they can to cover 3,111 laps each – 173 miles – which is the stretch from Big Ben in London to the Eiffel Tower in Paris.
Then it’s up to the public of Macclesfield to see how many laps they can skate and how far the community ultimately gets across Europe.
Eighteen laps of the rink is one mile.
Skaters have until early next month to get the laps under their belt before a family fun day to celebrate the end of the challenge.
Cheryl Simpson, one of a team of five completing the challenge from Space4Autism, said: “We’re not experienced skaters but are working hard to do our bit for the challenge. Andy at the centre is opening up early in the morning so we can get our laps in before work.
“We’re asking people to get their skates on and complete laps at the rink to help us get as far across Europe as we can.
“It’s open to the whole community in aid of three important causes.”
The Virtual Skate around Europe started on August 6 and runs until Sunday, September 11.
To donate, go to justgiving. com/ fundraising/ MAC-Activity-Centre or add your name to the sponsor forms at Space4Autism on Lowe Street or MAC Activity Centre Goodall Street.
Residents can skate laps throughout August individually or as a group. If you purchase a T-shirt from MAC for £7.50 you will get a reduced cost for skating during August.
The family fun day is at the finish line on September 11 from 11am to 4.30pm, with bands and other entertainment.
There are more details of the fun day on the centre’s website, macactivitycentre.co.uk.