A SPECIAL school held a fun day to raise money for its London Marathon Appeal.
Seven runners from Hinderton Primary School in Whitby, which caters to children with autistic spectrum conditions, will undertake the jog of their lives when they take part in the 26.2-mile race on April 22 to raise money for a new ball pool for the school.
Staff and pupils are aiming to generate funds by organising a series of events, and the fun day kicked things off in style.
Residents and parents came along to watch pupils getting the unique opportunity to soak headteacher Liam Dowling by throwing wet sponges at him, and joined in with a raffle, drawn by one of the marathon runners Simon C Jones.
Mr Dowling, said he was ‘extremely grateful’ to the runners for running the marathon in the school’s name.
“The event was a great success – we all had a fantastic afternoon and managed to raise some money for the much-needed ball pool,” he said.
“We would now like to appeal to parents, friends and supporters to sponsor a runner, and to circulate the appeal as widely as possible.
The school’s places in the London Marathon are donated by the Chester Lions Club, which secures Gold Bond charity places for organisations each year.
Derek Dix, president of Chester Lions Club, said: “We give these marathon places to charities and organisations each year to enable them to buy much-needed equipment that they ordinarily wouldn’t be able to afford.
“After speaking with the school we decided to help them to achieve their aim for the ball pool by donating places to them.
“Our marathon places have enabled local charities and organisations to raise more than £200,000 over the past 13 years and we are delighted to play a part in ensuring some of those doing great work can fundraise to continue to do so.”
To support the Hinderton team and donate to the marathon appeal, visit www.hindertonschool.co.uk or www.uk.virginmoneygiving.com/charities/hindertonschool.
