Our 36-Strong Christie Wolf Pack
The Christie Hospital is a special place for me and my family. Ever since I was referred to the Manchester-based hospital we have been wowed by the friendliness of the staff, the brilliant facilities on offer and the excellent care provided to me. Amazingly, nearly a year on from when I was referred, 36 people decided to run an infamous 10km obstacle course just to raise money for the hospital. And how well they did, raising more than £7,000 online and off – a figure that continues to rise even days afterwards.
And it’s rising that quickly that the crew are now aiming to raised £10,000! Incredible! You can help donate here: https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/Christewolfrun?utm_id=23
It all started when a close friend of Gemma, my fiancée, asked what she could do to raise money for a cause close to our hearts. Gemma told me about her friend Heather’s kind gesture and we both suggested The Christie – a specialist cancer centre – would be the perfect cause after all it had done for us.
The event they chose was the Wolf Run – a local 10km run that sees everyone involved get splattered in mud while running up and down hills, crawling through tunnels, climbing obstacles, sliding down water slides and generally getting very, very muddy.
Obviously I didn’t do the Wolf Run this time but, incredibly, 36 other people did. It started with just two in Heather and Gemma, but after they rounded up a few friends and family – and then they rounded up a few friends and family – the group grew into a 36-strong wolf pack all determined to beat the course and raise thousands of pounds in the process.
Many members of the pack were complete novices when it came to running, so the idea of running 10km was pretty scary for them – not to mention all the obstacles they would be tackling!
I wasn’t well enough to make the day but I’m told it was an amazing success. It must have been a right sight for everyone seeing 36 people all dressed up in smart Christie shirts, and I’m told Gemma was even persuaded to get up on the microphone and say a few words about the cause – something that made me very proud.
There’s a special video of the day you can watch HERE, which really gives you a flavour of what the group were up against. A massive thank you to Joe Venuto for putting it together – it has given me a chance to view the experience while I’m stuck in a hospital bed – a real boost for me.
Let me provide some insight into why we were so keen to raise money for the Christie. Firstly, they put me on a very expensive course of treatment over a two-week period. During this period, nurses cared for me superbly, checking up on me literally every hour of the day and night to see if I was OK during what was a very tough treatment. Staff also looked after my family by being extremely kind towards them during a tough time. They even got free massages in the incredible ‘Relaxation Room’ – a comfy, quiet room that you wouldn’t expect to find in the middle of a busy hospital.
When that treatment didn’t work out, doctors didn’t give up on me. They pushed on to make sure I was one of just 250 people nationwide to go on an Early Access Scheme for an extremely new treatment that has proved to be more effective. The place has actually just been nominated as UK hospital of the year, and I’d be amazed if it wasn’t in with a chance of winning.
This charity run effort from the 36-strong Wolf Pack was an amazing way to say thank you to The Christie. But let me also say a massive thank you to all 36 – including Gemma and even my mum!
Finally, the biggest thank you goes to anyone who donated anything to the cause. You are making a massive difference to patients like me who are going through such difficult times. THANK YOU! You really are life savers.
If you would like to donate – and thank you if so – please CLICK HERE.