Reading Roadrunners' Charity Fundraising
History
It all began back in 1989 when a Club member needed the services of a baby incubator at the Royal Berkshire Hospital. The Club responded by raising cash for an additional incubator. Over the years we have collected for a variety of causes, such as Macmillan Cancer Care, The National Autistic Society, The National Society for Epilepsy and more recently the Stroke Association. Twenty years later - in 2009 – we passed the £400K mark, a record of which we are justly proud.
Club Charity 2009
The Club Charity for 2009 is the June Hancock Mesothelioma Research Fund (Registered Charity Number 1121784). Mesothelioma is a cancer of the lining of the lung, for which the only known cause is exposure to asbestos. It can take over 40 years to develop following exposure, in the UK someone dies every 5 hours from the disease and the incidence is rising. There is no known cure.
This charity was adopted for one year after a Club member spoke on its behalf at the 2009 AGM. The way the system works is that whoever persuades the AGM to back their proposal must then drive the campaign. This requires considerable commitment and hard work. Often the would-be co-ordinator wishes to champion the cause of a friend or relative. The co-ordinator for 2009 is himself a Mesothelioma sufferer.
The fundraising total for 2009 is now £30,000 and rising!
How do we do it?
Simple: We never let slip a chance to raise a few quid! The sources of income are diverse. This year the Prospect Park car boots alone brought in some £8K and over the years many, many, many thousands of pounds. Races organised by the Club – Mortimer, Shinfield and Bramley – are also major earners. Since the Club is non-profit making it donates any surplus it makes.
Individual sponsorships account for a sizable chunk of the total. Chris Manetta’s amazing Hellespont Swim raised around £2K, Caroline Judge’s hilly Henley Half netted over £1,100 as did Ed and Toby’s epic conquest of Mount Snowdon. Carrying buckets round races, in particular the Reading Half, and organising refreshments is likewise lucrative, accounting this year for several grand.
However, as they say, every little helps, and often an impromptu quiz or game of skittles will bring in some extra cash... as indeed did the impromptu sale of four sticks of rhubarb! (No seriously, even that is documented in the accounts!)