Rugby club takes on Arran for Aaron charity challenge
A group of players, coaches and staff from Hamilton Rugby Club will undergo a gruelling charity challenge in memory of a friend who died of cancer last year.
Arran for Aaron is in tribute to Aaron Beale, who passed away aged 27, just six weeks after being diagnosed with neuroendocrine cancer.
The event is being held on the island on Saturday September 18 and involves a 43-mile cycle and half-marathon, a total of 57 miles, to be held on the island on Saturday, September 18, factoring in a 2,730ft elevation.
In all 15 club members will be completing eh challenge and, as a group, they have individually chosen to either;
Cycle 3/4 of Arran (43 miles), followed by a half marathon (13 miles from Lochranza to Brodick);
Run a half marathon (13 miles from Lochranza to Brodick);
Run a marathon (26 miles, finished in Brodick. And the challenge has really taken off. A JustGiving page raised £9,136 – 913 per cent more than the original £1,000 target, with proceeds going to Neuroendocrine Cancer UK.
Hamilton assistant manager Tony Malley said: ‘We’re overwhelmed with the amount of support we’ve had so far. Aaron was a very popular guy, well known within the rugby club, but it’s a close friendship group as well. There are 15 of us, and he was the 16th. It’s a huge loss, we all miss him greatly.
‘We’re raising money for Neuroendocrine Cancer UK; that was the cancer he was diagnosed with, and six weeks after he was diagnosed, he was gone.
‘It has motivated us to get on with this and get there. It makes us all determined to do it, but I think we’re all looking forward to that first beer when we cross the finishing line – I know I am.’
Anyone wishing to donate can do so at: justgiving.com/fundraising/arranforaaron