Despite the wet and windy conditions, over 60 walkers and runners turned out for the inaugural Raydale Round 10k run on Sunday organised by Askrigg resident Colin Anderson.
With most of their entrance fee going to Breast Cancer Care, over £950 was raised on the day giving fundraiser Tippy Watson the last push to reach her target of £50,000 for the charity.
The winner of the 10k race was Neil Bowe who managed this challenging course in only 51m 24s , closely followed by David Roper and Peter Ferguson.
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Some of the runners even ran the course twice, and the winner of the 20k was Josh Westwood finishing in an impressive 1h 45m 41s .
Event organiser and keen photographer Tippy Watson has been raising funds for the charity since early in 2017 when she was diagnosed herself with an aggressive form of breast cancer.
It started with a pledge to raise £5,000 from the production of a Yorkshire Dales Calendar, and then encouraged by its success, the target was increased tenfold.
Many events followed; from the Soul Lounge – a star-studded ball at Tennant’s in Leyburn, to a comedy night in Hawes, a Royal Wedding Brunch, a concert by Steve Harley and recently the Askrigg Art Expo. In addition to this, many local people in and around Askrigg, took it upon themselves to help her reach the target – organising walks and runs, afternoon teas, and even a charity dog show!
Tippy said: “I have to admit there were times in the last few months that I thought I would never get there, but I am delighted that we have smashed the target this weekend.
“Time after time the local people of Askrigg and surrounding districts, have come out to support every single event and activity I have put on.
“It is them who really deserve the thank you and I feel honoured to live in this fantastic community.”
Breast Cancer Care’s Head of Community Fundraising, Alec Raven, thanked Tippy with a video message expressing how important community donations were to the charity, and explaining that only one per cent of their funds came from government funding.
Tippy herself was delighted to learn that the £50,000 raised would be enough to entirely run their helplines for two months, providing a lifeline for thousands of people affected by breast cancer in the process.
Breast Cancer Care have over 400 people working on the phones helping sufferers and their relatives through challenging times, and answering questions that sometimes cannot be answered quickly by other channels.
Tippy added: “One of the main reasons I chose this particular charity was that the helplines were, and still are, invaluable to me during my own treatment.
“When you live in a rural area it is vital to have that kind of support.”
Asked what her plans were now, Tippy said: ““Well, I am going to concentrate on my own health for a little while, with further surgery coming up soon, but I am sure it won’t be long before I am back with another project, so watch this space.
“I would like to take this opportunity to thank each and every one of you who have given me your support.”
The Breast Cancer Care helpline is 0808 800 6000.
For more details on the charity visit www.breastcancercare.org.uk
