[S]anta – hopefully lots of Santas, elves, festive fairies and even the odd Christmas pudding – are coming to Kendal on Sunday, 3rd December as Rosemere Cancer Foundation hosts its first ever Cumbria Santa Dash/Stroll!
The event is a one-mile family fun run/walk starting at 11 am from the Dojo Judo Centre on Parkside Business Park. The circular course goes behind Kirkbie-Kendal High School up to the canal towpath before passing Kendal Leisure Centre and into Lound Road. It then heads back to the towpath for the home straight.
All finishers will then be rewarded with a certificate and free hot and cold drinks and biscuits.
Tammy Hoskins, Rosemere Cancer Foundation’s South Cumbria and North Lancs fundraising co-ordinator, said: “We have a couple of established Santa Dashes/Strolls in Lancashire that have been going a number of years now but we have never done anything like this before in South Cumbria.
“I really hope local people of all ages get behind it as it’s very much a fun, family event. It’s fantastic when participants dress up in Christmas hats, jumpers and costumes. It’s also lovely and very touching when they proudly display the name of someone they are dashing or strolling in memory of on their outfit.”
Tammy added: “We decided to launch the Kendal Santa Dash/ Stroll this year as 2017 is a special for us as we are celebrating the 20th anniversary of the opening of Rosemere Cancer Centre, which is South Cumbria and Lancashire’s regional specialist cancer treatment centre at the Royal Preston Hospital. It provides all radiotherapy treatment, specialist diagnostics and surgery plus complex chemotherapy for patients from throughout the region, including this whole area.”
“We have a £1.5 million birthday appeal running, our 20 Years Anniversary Appeal, to fund a trio of ground-breaking projects at the centre. Santa Dash/Stroll entry fees and any sponsorship money raised will all be put towards it. Although the appeal ends next spring, I really hope our turn-out will be good enough to make the Kendal Santa Dash/.Stroll an annual fixture on our Cumbria fundraising calendar.”
To register for Rosemere Cancer Foundation’s Kendal Santa Dash/Stroll, simply log on to www.rosemere.org.uk or call 01772 522913.
Adult entry is £5. Accompanied children aged 12 and under can enter for free. Would-be dashers and strollers can also just turn up on the day but if planning to do that, should arrive early. The course will be fully marshalled by volunteers from local young farmers’ clubs.
As well as supporting Rosemere Cancer Centre, Rosemere Cancer Foundation funds projects to bring world class cancer treatment and services to another eight hospitals in South Cumbria and Lancashire where cancer patients are treated, including Westmorland and Furness General Hospitals and Lancaster Royal Infirmary.
