O’donnell’s on the right road in raising cash for Foundation
GATESHEAD stalwart JJ O’donnell has reflected on a remarkable charity challenge which has raised more than £1,200 for the Sir Bobby Robson Foundation.
O’donnell and former Heed team-mate and captain Scott Barrow ran a combined total of 200 kilometres throughout June to raise money in memory of Gateshead supporter Simon Dinning.
The decision to take on the sizable challenge was made to help Dinning’s family replace an annual fundraiser for the Foundation after a planned party for his father Laurence had to be cancelled due to the coronavirus epidemic.
Before they hit the road, O’donnell and Barrow set an initial target of £2 per kilometre, meaning the Foundation would receive £400 if they met their goal.
However, the duo went above and beyond that target and the final total had reached £1,229 by the time the fundraising came to a close last week.
O’donnell explained his reasons for undertaking the challenge and revealed his delight at the amount of money raised for the foundation.
He said: “There were two people I did it for.
“There was the Foundation but then there was Laurence and Ange (Dinning’s mother).
“They have been like a mum and dad to me since I moved up here and their only child Simon passed away five years ago at a young age.
“There was going to be a party this year for Laurence’s birthday and all of the money was going to the foundation in Simon’s memory.
“The party could not happen because of the pandemic, so I thought I would try and do something to help them.
“Scott and I set about running
100 kilometres each but we never planned to raise as much as I did – anything would have been great to be honest.
“To raise as much is fantastic, it’s gone well above and beyond that initial target that was set.
Liz Luff from the Sir Bobby Robson Foundation: “We are very grateful to JJ and Scott for their fundraising efforts.
“We are also grateful to everyone who donated to the Foundation in memory of Simon.”