People take part in the Great North Run for a number of different reasons; to get fit, to challenge yourself or to remember someone special. In 2018 Steven Garrigan ran the Great North Run in memory of his Niece Grace Jones, who was the inspiration for Grace House and sadly passed away in September 2017.
Steven wanted to do something for Grace House and his daughter Alisha persuaded him to run the Great North Run to honour the memory of Grace. Along with Alisha and his friend Ian, they signed up and set themselves a target of £1,250, little did they know that they would go on to smash this! Steven raised over £2,300 in the lead up to the event and between the three of them they raised a total of £3,247! Steven admitted he did struggle to find time to train as he works away from home however, he did fit in some last-minute training while he was on holiday in Fuerteventura! This paid off as he completed the run in 2 hours and 15 minutes, crossing the finish line as the Red Arrows flew over South Shields.
To acknowledge this amazing achievement Grace House awarded Steven with a trophy for best fundraiser which was presented to him at Grace House by Matt Wylie MBE.
Victoria Brown, Chief Executive at Grace House said “Steven should be immensely proud of what he has achieved in the name of his Niece Grace. His story is inspiring, and Grace House is extremely grateful for his amazing effort in raising such a fantastic amount of money. Local charities like ourselves rely so much on the passion and commitment of our supporters and we cannot thank Steven and his family enough”
Steven said “Completing the Great North Run I felt a huge amount of emotion, pride and sense of achievement. I couldn’t of done this without all the fantastic support from my family, friends and work colleagues donating such a large amount to such a worthy cause in Grace House, making the whole day and memory of it stay with me forever.”
Entries for the 2019 Simplyhealth Great North Run are now open and if Steven’s story has inspired you, you can sign up and join #TeamGraceHouse now at the link below or email lf@gracehouse.co.uk.
https://members.gracehouse.co.uk/events/simplyhealth-great-north-run-2019