October saw some brilliant fundraising initiatives and activities which went the extra mile to raise vital funds for Spread a Smile.
Our Chief Executive Lucy Jackson along with friends Caroline Kleinman, Melanie Wynne and Lauren Ornstein took on the Three Peaks Challenge in October, walking 23 miles, climbing 3400m in just 24 hours.
The weather was against them all weekend, with pouring rain, snow showers, high winds and even a hail-storm. But that didn’t stop them and they climbed the UK’s three highest peaks, Ben Nevis, Snowdon and Scafell Pike managing to raise an incredible £9,600 in the process.
A brilliant team of 19 runners took part in the Royal Parks Half Marathon, running 13.1 miles and raising £11,000 between them. This included a group representing ‘Team Keeva’ who have taken on a few fundraising challenges for Spread a Smile because of the support we’ve given to Keeva, one of the runner’s daughters.
“When Keeva was first diagnosed, it felt like the pits of hell. Then Spread a Smile came along, and they were so jolly and welcoming and lovely, it gave us an uplift that we needed. They are a family you join, and it becomes part of your journey. Spread a Smile was a breath of fresh air. They brought fun and sparkles and balloons. For Keeva it was her one thing during the week that she looked forward to the most.”
Shout out to Team Keeva: Thomas, Brian, Damian, David, Ed, Michael, Nicola, Nick, Paul, Stephen and our other runners Benji, Emma, James, Josh, Natasha, Ricky, Sherri, Tom and Will.
Also, a special mention to Audrey Godfrey who raised just over £1,000 for Spread a Smile as part of her 80th birthday celebrations and Mergen Dorjnamjil who ran the TCS London Marathon in support of the charity.
A huge thank you to everyone who has fundraised for us recently. If you would like to take up the fundraising challenge, we’d love to hear from you. Please email the team to find out about our upcoming challenges or how we can support you with your own initiatives.