Mascots race to raise money
With people dressed as a dinosaur, a dog, Postman Pat and all sorts of fun characters, the Sue Ryder Mascot Gold Cup is a wacky running race. It’s held at Wetherby Racecourse in West Yorkshire, England, and is a special annual charity event. The Mascot Gold Cup raises money for Sue Ryder, a charity that supports people and families suffering because of a life-ending illness or a condition that affects a person’s brain or nervous system.
About 70 mascots took to the grass course for the start of the race. They had to jump over six small fences as they ran a short distance in a straight line but many mascots took a tumble as they tried to run fast. The spectators cheered them on during the funny sporting spectacle and the race winner was Danger Mouse, a character from a television show. Inside the Danger Mouse costume was Kieran
Harness from Keighley, West Yorkshire. The runner-up was a pony mascot, and a character called Frankie Fire Dog came third. This year the Mascot Gold Cup raised around £15,000. Since the event began in 2005, it has collected more than £175,000 for the charity.
“The Sue Ryder Mascot Gold Cup is always so much fun. Thank you to everyone who took part in the race or came along to cheer on their favourite mascot,” says Andrew Wood, who works for the charity.