Local SPAR manager’s marathon effort to fund breast cancer research
Press Release For immediate release: 8 February 2011 Press contact: Louise Garrahan, Media Relations Officer, Breast Cancer Campaign, DD 0207 749 3724, Email: lgarrahan@breastcancercampaign.org Local SPAR manager’s marathon effort to fund breast cancer research Budding runner Kevin Hunt from Longton, Preston has laced up his running shoes to train for the Virgin London Marathon in aid of Breast Cancer Campaign. The Managing Director of 29 SPAR stores across the North West will join thousands of runners for the 26.2mile race on Sunday 17 April to support his wife Andrea who was diagnosed with breast cancer in September 2010 at the age of 39. Kevin said: “My wife was diagnosed last September and the care she has so far received has been superb. As a keen runner, I would like to give something back to a charity that funds research into this disease. I’ve always wanted to run the London Marathon and supporting Breast Cancer Campaign in doing so, will be fantastic, so I hope lots of people will dig deep and sponsor me for this challenge to help the charity take a step closer to beating breast cancer. I am really impressed with everyone who works in our SPAR stores – I cannot believe how committed they are to helping me reach my target. Without them, this would be impossible and it’s given me an added push to make sure I run all 26.2 miles!” Kevin’s local MP, Lorraine Fullbrook, MP for South Ribble, has given Kevin her full backing for the running challenge. She said: “I'm delighted that Kevin is running the London Marathon for Breast Cancer Campaign. Funding breast cancer research is a fantastic cause as this disease affects so many people across the UK, so I wish him well with his fundraising and good luck for the run. I’m sure the local community are all fully behind him.” To help Kevin reach his fundraising target of £10,000 please visit www.virginmoneygiving.com/kevinhunt and donate what you can. This year around 48,000 people will be diagnosed with breast cancer in the UK and sadly approximately 12,000 will die from this disease. So if you are already training for this year’s marathon and would like to make a difference to the lives of all those affected by breast cancer, please join Kevin on Campaign’s team. For more information, please call the Events team on 0207 749 4114 or visit www.breastcancercampaign.org If you have your own place there is no minimum sponsorship amount and each runner will receive a fundraising pack including a Breast Cancer Campaign running vest, sponsorship forms and lots of support from the charity on the day. Ends Picture caption: Kevin Hunt Notes to editors • Breast Cancer Campaign aims to beat breast cancer by funding innovative world-class research to understand how breast cancer develops, leading to improved diagnosis, treatment, prevention and cure • Currently it supports 84 research projects, worth over £15.9 million, in 31 centres of excellence across the UK and Ireland • Breast cancer is the most common cancer in the UK and accounts for nearly one in three of all cancers in women • In the UK, nearly 48,000 new cases of breast cancer are diagnosed each year - that’s 130 a day • Visit www.breastcancercampaign.org • Read Chief Executive Pamela Goldberg’s blog http://pamelagoldbergblog.blogspot.com/ About SPAR (UK) Ltd SPAR is the UK's largest family of neighbourhood stores. The network comprises 2,700 stores across the UK, all of which are independently owned or managed by people who live in the communities they serve. The stores have 50,000 employees and a turnover in excess of £2.6 billion. Established in the UK in 1957, SPAR has a long heritage of supporting this network of independent retailers. As a symbol group, individual SPAR members remain independent but enjoy access to collective buying and the marketing power of the SPAR brand. SPAR’s approach means that every SPAR store is tailor-made to suit the needs of its customers wherever it serves them, offering a genuinely local experience for shoppers.
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