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'Together We Run' is a new fundraising challenge from East Anglian Air Ambulance (EAAA)

Words by Smiley Team

Together We Run is a new fundraising challenge from East Anglian Air Ambulance (EAAA) which is encouraging the people of East Anglia to pledge miles towards a collective 2,000 mile target.  

 

EAAA normally organises several mass participation challenge events throughout the year, raising hundreds of thousands of pounds to help keep its yellow helicopters flying and saving lives. These events cannot go ahead this year, so the charity is asking its supporters to take part in Together We Run instead, a virtual fundraising challenge from 14 – 20 September, to run (or walk) a combined 2,000 miles, wherever and whenever suits them.  

 

If successful, this virtual running event could become a regular addition to the charity’s event calendar, along with its Only the Brave muddy obstacle run and Trek 24 walking challenges. 

 

The 2,000 mile target has been chosen as EAAA was established in September 2000, twenty years ago. EAAA does not receive regular government funding and relies on the generosity and kindness of local people to save lives - with 17,000 local people already having received help.  

 

Signing up to take part in Together We Run is a simple way to help celebrate this milestone for the charity – and for East Anglia - at a time when we can’t physically come together. Participants can walk or run as much or as little as they like, and are encouraged to submit their activity using exercise tracking app, Strava.   

 

To add an extra element of fun to this challenge, there will also be four Together We Run teams, headed up by members of the EAAA crew. Team points will be awarded not just on the number of miles completed per team, but also for every pound raised to help keep the EAAA crews airborne and saving lives. 

 

Doctor Pam Chrispin explains: “It’s really simple. We can’t fly without community support and donations, and we’re incredibly lucky to have been here for 20 years already. We’re really excited to be organising our first virtual challenge event to ensure that our fundraising can carry on safely this year, so I encourage everyone to take part – even if it’s just walking one or two miles. Your support will help to keep our yellow helicopters flying and saving lives.”

  

Events Manager, Leanne Kershaw, added:“It’s been a really busy few months at EAAA. Our crews haven’t missed a shift and have been working around the clock, with new procedures and PPE to keep them and our patients safe, and we’ve sadly had to cancel or postpone all of our planned fundraising events for this year.’

 

‘But, we really wanted to be able to find a way to still bring people together, especially as we are about to reach our 20th anniversary milestone, and we know we simply wouldn’t be here without the fantastic community which keeps us flying. So, please join us in September to collectively walk or run 2,000 miles to celebrate saving lives together for the last twenty years.” 

 

For more information and to sign up, go to https://www.eaaa.org.uk/get-involved/events/together-we-run

 

This article aligns with the following UN SDGs

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