A very merry red Christmas from Old Trafford
Howard Lake | 5 November 2008 | News
• Get festive at the Santa Run Family Day, Old Trafford Stadium, 14th December, 10:30am
• Race around the stadium dressed as Santa for charity
• Ho Ho Ho holly smoke it’s a sea of Santa’s
Date: Tuesday 4th November
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
On Sunday 14th December, Manchester United will challenge supporters and their families to don Santa suits and running shoes and race around the famous Old Trafford stadium dressed as Father Christmas; all in the name of charity.
Old Trafford will play host to thousands of sponsored runners on the day, who will make a festive dash for the finish line in aid of the Manchester United Foundation and the club’s six charity partners: The New Children’s Hospital Appeal, The Legacy Rainbow House, Francis House, The Christie Charity, Cystic Fibrosis Trust and The Children’s Society.
There are two courses on the day, which run for over a mile around Manchester United’s iconic stadium and the surrounding area. The event kicks off with a family race at 10:30am, with the ‘Serious Santas’ making up the second wave of runners on a longer course at 11:30am.
After the race there will be Christmas stalls, carol singers and other events taking place around the stadium to get everyone in the festive spirit.
The entry fee for the event is £10, which includes a santa suit for all participants. Families can enter for £20 and this includes a Santa suit and three Santa hats. Prizes will be given on the day for the race winners, the best dressed Santa and the individual who raises the most sponsorship money. To take part, contact your chosen charity direct or log on to www.mufoundation.org/santarun for more information.
John Shiels, chief executive at Manchester United Foundation said: “This is the second time we have hosted the Santa Run and we want this year to be even bigger and better. Anybody can enter and we want to get as many people as possible involved, from local schools to Manchester United legends. There will be fun fairs, choirs, bands, Christmas stalls, food and drink sellers and of course a ‘mystery’ Father Christmas in his grotto – it should be the perfect event to get people in a festive mood and help a good cause.”
Cadbury’s are supporting the event and the Cadbury’s Cream Egg Car and the drumming gorilla will be putting in a special appearance.
Charity Quotes
Bob Reitemeier, Chief Executive, said: “”This is a great opportunity for The Children’s Society and all the charities to work together with Manchester United and create a sea of Santa’s all making a real difference for childhood – not only in Manchester but across the UK.”
David Cain, Director of The New Children’s Hospital Appeal commented: “We look forward to welcoming all the Santa’s to a fabulous and fun event for the whole family at the famous Manchester United ground. This event is a great opportunity for everyone involved to be united for children whilst sharing the goals of each charity involved.”
For editorial information for Manchester United Foundation please contact:
Rachael Pilsbury
Marketing and Communications Officer
Manchester United Foundation
E: ra**************@mu**********.org
T: 0161 868 8120
M: 07765 222 003
Notes to Editors
The Santa Run
The event will take place on Sunday 14th December, 10:30am at Old Trafford Stadium, Manchester, M16 0RA
Entry Fee which includes a Santa Suit for all participants: £10
Family Entry Fee includes a Santa Suit and 3 Santa Hats: £20
Log on to www.mufoundation.org/santarun for more information, or contact your chosen charity direct:
Francis House – 0161 443 2200
Cystic Fibrosis Trust – 0845 859 1100
New Children’s Hospital Appeal – 0161 276 4522
The Legacy – Rainbow House – 01704 823276
The Children’s Society – 0845 300 1128
Christie’s – 0161 446 3400
The Charities
Manchester United Foundation was formed to celebrate 50 years of the Club playing in Europe. It aims to use the passion for Manchester United to educate, motivate and inspire young people to build a better life for themselves and improve the communities they live in. The Foundation delivers football coaching, skills training, personal development and life changing experiences, providing young people with opportunities to change their lives for the better. Through football, we encourage them to develop as players and more importantly as people.
Manchester United’s Charity Partners
In 2007 Manchester United announced six three-year charity partnerships with two national and four local charities. The charities are Francis House, Christie’s, The New Children’s Hospital Appeal, Rainbow House, The Children’s Society and Cystic Fibrosis Trust.
The Children’s Society
The Children’s Society is a leading national charity, driven by the belief that every child deserves a good childhood. It provides vital help and understanding for those forgotten children who face the greatest danger, discrimination or disadvantage in their daily lives; children who are unable to find the support they need anywhere else. The Children’s Society’s network of projects helps over 50,000 children and their families each year. Through its pioneering research and influential campaigning, it defends, safeguards and protects the childhood of all children.
www.childrenssociety.org.uk
Cystic Fibrosis Trust
Cystic Fibrosis (CF) is the most common life-threatening inherited disease in the UK affecting over 380 people in Greater Manchester. Each week five babies are born with Cystic Fibrosis and three young people die – 90% from lung damage. Average life expectancy is just 31, although improvements in treatments mean a baby born today is expected to live longer. The Cystic Fibrosis Trust is the UK’s only national charity dealing with all aspects of Cystic Fibrosis. It funds research to treat and cure CF, supports families and tries to make sure everyone gets the right care.
www.cftrust.org.uk
New Children’s Hospital Appeal
Royal Manchester (Pendlebury) and Booth Hall Children’s Hospital will be relocated in 2009 to a brand new state-of-the-art children’s hospital in Central Manchester The New Children’s Hospital Appeal will help ensure the new hospital, which will be the biggest children’s hospital in the country providing specialist services to the Region’s poorliest children, has equipment and facilities that are second to none.
www.newchildrenshospitalappeal.org.uk/
Francis House
Francis House Children’s Hospice offers the families of terminally ill children a respite from their role as carers and gives the children a loving home from home. The children are all suffering from illnesses for which there is no known cure. Whilst medical science can offer the necessary relief, Francis House gives support, comfort and care in the form of:
• Skilled nursing for children in a homely, happy and secure place.
• An essential break for parents and for the rest of their families.
• Friendship, encouragement and relief, enabling the whole family to return home refreshed.
• A flexible service to suit the needs of the family, including home support and bereavement care.
• A lifeline by just being available day or night.
www.francishouse.org.uk
The Christie Charity
The Christie NHS Foundation Trust is one of the leading cancer treatment centres in Europe, and an international leader in cancer research and development.
The Christie is based in Manchester, but because of its specialist nature, patients are treated from all over the North West and beyond. Around 40,000 patients are treated each year and medical staff share their expertise with colleagues in hospitals across the region.
In addition to NHS funding, The Christie receives a significant amount of money every year through its charity. The money raised is used both to fund cancer research and to contribute to the provision of specialist medical equipment and extras that give the hospital its special comforting and therapeutic atmosphere for patients undergoing treatment for all types of cancer.
www.christies.org
The Legacy Rainbow House
Rainbow House was established in Eccleston near Chorley in 2001 by Joe Mawdsley in response to the needs of her two children. The charity now supports over 120 children and their families from across the North West, specialising in helping children with neurological problems, such as cerebral palsy, and children who have suffered brain injuries, to lead more independent lives. The charity now offers an outreach service in Cumbria and has a new purpose-built centre of excellence, The Legacy, in Mawdesley near Ormskirk.
The Legacy Rainbow House uses a wide range of teaching methods including conductive education which is a unified system of learning for children with neurological disorders. At The Legacy Rainbow House children are challenged to overcome everyday obstacles which they may find in their community such as road dangers, and are involved in classroom learning through drama, physiotherapy, speech, language, music and art.
www.thelegacy-rainbowhouse.com
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About Howard Lake
Howard Lake is consultant editor of UK Fundraising. He founded the site in 1994 and successfully sold it in 2022. As director of Giving X Ltd he is exploring growing giving on a massive scale.
He is the founder of Fundraising Camp and co-founder of GoodJobs.