Rays of Sunshine asks people to wear yellow for a day, plus more fundraising event news
Melanie May | 13 June 2023 | News
From Rays of Sunshine’s launch of its annual Ray for a Day to Santander’s sponsorship of theMacmillan Mighty Hikes event series, here’s a round up of fundraising event news.
Rays of Sunshine asks people to wear yellow for Ray for a Day
Rays of Sunshine, the charity which grants wishes to seriously ill children in the UK, is asking supporters to wear yellow, shine and donate on 21 June, the summer solstice. Ray for a Day, the charity’s flagship fundraiser, is now in its sixth year and simply asks people to put on something yellow, whether it’s an all-yellow ensemble, or just yellow socks, and donate £2 to Rays of Sunshine on the day.
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Bidwells Oxford Town and Gown raises ÂŁ200k for Muscular Dystrophy UK
On Sunday 14 May, thousands of runners from Oxford and surrounding areas completed the historic Bidwells Oxford Town and Gown to support Muscular Dystrophy UK (MDUK). The event, which went carbon neutral for the first time, raised ÂŁ200k for the charity. The annual event now in its 41st year saw 500 children, aged between nine and 15 years old and from local schools, complete the junior 3k course. For the adult 10k, 4,500 runners took to the streets of Oxford.
Charity golf day raises £18,000 for Brian House Children’s Hospice
A charity golf day at the Royal Lytham & St Annes Golf Club has raised £18,000 for Brian House Children’s Hospice. The Brian House Golf Day saw 20 teams teeing off for charity, and enjoying a full day of golf before an evening dinner with drinks reception, featuring a speech by former football pro Duncan McKenzie.
Santander becomes first official sponsor of Macmillan Mighty Hikes
Macmillan Cancer Support has announced Santander UK, one of the charity’s banking partners, will become the first ever official sponsor of its Mighty Hikes fundraising event series. The sponsorship is part of a three-year fundraising partnership. Employees will also participate in Mighty Hikes events across the country throughout 2023 and Santander has the ambition to raise ÂŁ1.2million from employee fundraising during the partnership to support Macmillan. Mighty Hikes are Macmillan’s annual hiking events and the third biggest mass participation fundraising event in the charity sector. Macmillan’s half and full marathon length hikes take place in some of the most beautiful and picturesque parts of the UK, including the Lake and Peak Districts, Giant’s Causeway, and Rob Roy. This year the hikes run from May – September.
St Giles’s annual Solstice Walk returns this June with safari theme
Fundraisers are being invited to lace up their walking shoes, don their safari fancy dress and fundraise with a difference, by taking part in St Giles’s annual Solstice Walk on Saturday, 17 June, in this the hospice’s 40th anniversary year. The 10k adventure around Lichfield is an evening walk, starting at 6pm with a welcome party before the walk at 8pm and finishing with a sunset celebration that includes live music.
Greenwich & Bexley Community Hospice Mini Marathon raises over ÂŁ500,000 in 10 years
Greenwich & Bexley Community Hospice’s 10th annual Mini Marathon took place on 14 May in Royal Greenwich Park. In total, 934 children signed up for a fun morning out with their families, with free face painting, sports and games courtesy of Better GLL. The children also enjoyed performances by the Rock Choir and a warm-up by Greenwich Runners before setting off on the 2.62-mile route. Over the past ten years the event has raised more than £500,000. Ten years ago, the hospice had 300 children signed up, and this number steadily increased until it reached 1,800 children in 2019. Even during the pandemic year, 316 children took part in their own virtual Mini Marathon.
About Melanie May
Melanie May is a journalist and copywriter specialising in writing both for and about the charity and marketing services sectors since 2001. She can be reached via thepurplepim.com.