Charity run with a splash of COLOUR

Hundreds of people from throughout the local community and further afield donned their trainers on Saturday, June 30 and manage to raise a fantastic £10,000 pot of gold for the charity.

The run involved participants and spectators throwing dry paint called Coloured Holi Powders at each other while taking on the five miles course - starting at Stranocum Community Centre and running around the local area and back through the famous Dark Hedges.

Adele Elder, Chairperson and one of the founders of the Gillian Adams Angels Foundation, explained: “We as a family set up the charity three years ago in September to help families affected by cancer in the Causeway Coast and Glens area.

“We set it up in memory of our dear sister-in-law Gillian who we lost due to a short illness with cancer. Gillian was a really good, kind natured person who just lived for her three boys and her husband John.

“She kept herself to herself and never asked for much, even during her illness she never wanted to put any of the nurses and doctors to any bother.

“She turned to God when she was diagnosed and became a Christian which we truly believe gave Gillian great peace when life was at its hardest.

“Her faith was amazing and it never faltered. She gave to various charities and always was there if you needed help, that is why we wanted to set the charity up in her memory and give something back.

“With the Gillian Adams Angel Foundation we saw a need in our community for families who are affected by this devastating disease to get help with food, heating etc. It’s very, very hard when a wage stops coming into a house due to sickness and also when a parent is too ill to make dinners, go shopping, pay for the necessities of day to day living.

“We got together with one of the local district nurses to discuss how us as a family could give back to our community. She gave us an insight to how cancer really affects different families and it really sucks.

“We set up the charity with all cancer patients and their families in mind. We give vouchers to the value of £100 to each family. These can be used in supermarkets, McAtamney’s, fuel for the house and family fun days for the younger ones.

“To date we have helped over 200 families in the Causeway Coast and Glens area and we supply arts and craft materials to The Royal Haemotology Unit for Sick Children every year.

“We have also gifted Macmillan to set up a Chaplaincy Service.

“Our long term goal is to widen the area of help and give others further afield the opportunity to receive our packs - but we need the continuous support of everyone to carry on to do this.

“So, as always, we would like to thank everyone in the community that has helped, volunteered, donated etc to sustain the charity over the past three years as it has proved to be a much needed part of the local community.

“Everyday is hard, however the charity has been a healing aid to us as we were able to talk about Gillian and what fundraising events she would have liked us to organise. We always organise things that she would have agreed with and would have enjoyed helps and taking part.

“She holds a very special place in our hearts and we miss her so so much.”

And thanks to the £10,000 raised during the Colour Run as well as the dedication of the volunteers and the sponsors, more families suffering from the effects of cancer can now benefit from the Foundation’s help.

Adele continued: “We just want to say a huge thank you from the bottom of our hearts to all those who took part in the Colour Run event, which will become an annual event. You were all so awesome.

“Thank you to all our sponsors, who are on all of your T-shirts and without them the event wouldn’t have been possible.

“Thanks to the Mace in Armoy for giving us the water and to Maine Minerals too.

“Also, thanks to Eddy Calvin Photography in Stranocum for taking such amazing pictures on the day. As you can see from the images online we had a fantastic day and we reckon we have raised around £10,000, and money is still coming in.”

If you know someone who could benefit from the Gillian Adams Angel Foundation, the application packs are available from most GP practices and district nurses in the local area.

They are also available at the Macmillan pod in Causeway and Antrim Area Hospital hospitals.

If anyone has any difficulties in finding the packs or want information or to help the charity please call Adele 079 2139 5026 or Cynthia 078 5658 2869, or email: [email protected]

The following is the link to purchase prints. All proceeds will be donated back to the Foundation: http://clients.eddycalvinphotography.com/gallery/colour.run

* The Gillian Adams Foundation is hoping to organise a number of other events over the coming months including a winter dinner dance ... watch this space.