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The Santa Fun Run 3, in aid of the
Phyllis Tuckwell Hospice, proved a tremendous success
recently when approaching 500 entrants all dressed as Father
Christmas embarked on the Queens Avenue Playing Fields,
Aldershot for the three mile run/walk.
Included in
the field was Aldershot Town Football Club goalkeeper Nikki
Bull. He has recently reached a milestone of playing 200
matches for the club but he is totally focussed on
supporting the Hospice, the official charity of the football
club.
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Nikki said after the event, “What a great
day it was for the community to raise awareness of the
Hospice and also to see so many people turn out on the day
and more importantly raise so much money. I think that
everybody enjoyed it and it was great to talk to so many
people”.
The base of the Santa Fun Run is that all
entrants to the event are supplied with a Santa Claus outfit
that they must wear for the three mile run around the
playing fields. The sight of seeing everybody in their cars
tooting their horns upon arrival set the tone for a purely
festive fun occasion for all the family to enjoy too.
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The turnout of 470 far exceeded the
expectations of the organisers of the event and was over 200
more than the 2005 run. Nikki continued, “I have been told
that in previous years that it was about the 200 or so mark.
To get to 470 people shows that the community is right
behind the Hospice. I really enjoyed it. I didn’t really
know what to expect when I arrived. When I was talking to
people beforehand they were saying that you should be at the
front because I am a footballer. I think I came home in
third position at the end but the real focus is that the
Hospice benefits”.
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Indeed now he has mastered the Santa Fun
Run Nikki is aiming to do it again in 2007 and mindful that
it would be good to increase the entry numbers. He
continued, “Supporting the Hospice is a never ending process
because it requires so much money to continue to serve the
local community. If this is the first time some of the
people have been involved with the Hospice then hopefully
they will look out for other events that the Hospice puts
on. It is all about networking and hopefully people who can
introduce other people who in turn can support the Hospice
and ultimately raise more money. It was good to talk to so
many people on the day. I want to be involved again next
year as I am committed to helping the Hospice in any way
that I can and let’s hope that other people in the community
can become involved too”.
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Hospice Community Fundraiser Graham
Brookland who organised the event said, “We are so grateful
to Nikki for running the event and his involvement certainly
helped raise the profile of this wonderful event that is now
in its third year. We are also grateful to sponsors Gilroy
and Brookes and supporters Cannons Health Club and Hi Speed
Services Ltd in addition to the Aldershot Military for
allowing us to use the venue and Garrison Radio and also
Churchills Stores in Medway Drive, Farnborough for supplying
the water too. We are indebted to everybody that entered the
run too. We were hoping to raise £10,000 for the Hospice
before the event and I am confident that it will be much
more than that due to the fantastic turn out. We’ll be
announcing the date for 2007 imminently too.”
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