Three Eden Country Care charity fundraisers took on a dare devil challenge to raise funds for 2 great causes, Cancer Research and S.U.R.F Spinal Unit Recreational Fund.
Daniel Tarney, from Appleby-in-Westmorland, together with Eileen Cook and Sharon Wilby both from Penrith, were offered the chance to jump out of an aeroplane 15,000 feet above ground level by their employer, local home care provider Eden Country Care, to raise money for charity. The organisation wanted to do something very special to give its employees the chance of a life time whilst raising funds for their chosen charities, Cancer Research and S.U.R.F Spinal Unit Recreational Fund.
Eden Country Care’s Sandy Armstrong explained, “unfortunately Cancer does touch all of our lives in some way, at some time and one of our office team colleagues benefitted from SURFs support before coming to join us, so what better charities to choose for our parachuting fund raiser.”
Penrith Home care assistant, Sharon Wilby, had never jumped out of a plane before and she was the very first carer to sign up to the charity jump! Sharon told us: “I never get picked for anything and when I did, and realised I was going to be parachuting, I thought ‘what did you do that for!’ I have done a lot of charity work in the past and really love raising money for good causes, so it was worth being so scared (and once out of the plane I couldn’t stop smiling and laughing!).
Parachutist and fellow home carer Eileen Cook said: “It was the most exciting thing I have EVER done! The scariest part was sitting on the edge of the plane waiting to jump out – it felt like a life time! But Cancer Research is very close to my heart as I have lost members of my own family to cancer and wanted to do something for the charity. If I could do it all again I would!”
Heather Tarney, Eden Country Care’s managing director commented that “we wanted to raise funds to help others feel safe and comfortable at pivotal points in their lives, it’s what we do as an organisation. Thanks to Dan, Eileen and Sharon the £1016 they raised will go some way to helping their charities do this and I’d like to thank Dan, Eileen and Sharon for their energy and bravery – I couldn’t do it!”
