Ten employees from a Newcastle bus depot have tackled a tough 10km race in South Shields to raise funds for poorly Kian Musgrove.
Team Walkergate – made up of drivers, duty managers, fitters, administration and operations team members from Stagecoach North East – took part in the Sand Dancer 10km Mixed Terrain race and despite the extreme windy weather, spirits were kept up during the team challenge.
Kian’s grandfather and bus driver Alan Gordon, who completed his fifth race this year, was joined by teammates Nick Monte, Danny Routledge, Geoff Willis, Kenny Johns, Paul Gray, Peter Younger, Dennis Patterson, Lisa Younger, David Baldwin and Julie Baldwin.
Despite there being no personal bests for the team, bus driver Nick Monte ran from South Shields back home to Killingworth as extra training, in preparation for the Liverpool Marathon he took part in on 28th May.
The team is hoping to raise as much money as possible to help support the ongoing treatment for Caring for Kian, which was set up for five-year old Kian Musgrove to help raise funds in his fight against cancer after being diagnosed with stage 4 neuroblastoma in October 2013.
Alan Gordon said: “This is a great local event to take part in and the team are always keen to get involved, it has become part of the regular calendar of events. With it being a tough race, it does help to know that you are running for a good cause and obviously Caring for Kian is a charity close to our hearts. We would like to thank everyone who sponsored us and helped to make this donation.”In addition to the funds raised by the team, Stagecoach North East also continued its support for the Sand Dancer race, by paying the team’s entrance fees and making a further donation of £100.
David Wakefield, Operations Manager, Stagecoach North East’s Walkergate depot, said: “We are always very happy to support the fundraising efforts of our staff and well done once again to the Walkergate team for taking part. As well as a fun day out and some healthy competition and challenging weather, their efforts have raised funds for a great cause.”
Anyone wishing to help can visit http://www.caringforkian.co.uk/donate/ or follow Caring for Kian on Facebook.
For further information about Stagecoach North East please visit www.stagecoachbus.com