A FUND-raising ‘hero’ from Rugby has taken on his third and final walking marathon challenge in aid of a hospice charity – at the age of 85.
Geoff Kennedy is showing no signs of slowing down when it comes to supporting The Myton Hospices.
A dedicated fund-raiser since Myton first opened its doors 43 years ago, Geoff co-founded the Rugby 250+ Club which has since raised over £220,000 for the charity.
When the pandemic disrupted the Rugby 250+ Club’s fundraising plans in 2020, Geoff took matters into his own hands by walking a full marathon in his garden – raising an impressive £5,600 in the process.
In 2021, he set himself another challenge, this time walking a marathon across his home town over four days, adding another £3,900 to his fundraising total.
Determined to push his overall total past £10,000, Geoff walked 6.5 miles a day across Rugby, Coventry, and Warwick over four days last week.
Geoff said: “I’ll be turning 86 next month, so I wanted to make this final challenge bigger and better.
“I’ve been raising money for Myton for almost half my life, and it’s a cause close to my heart. My late wife received care at Myton’s Rugby site before Covid, so I know first-hand the difference their support makes.
“I play golf regularly, so I’m used to walking around five miles each time – it’s great preparation!”
Laura Eaton, Partnerships Fundraiser at The Myton Hospices, praised Geoff’s dedication.
She added: “On behalf of everyone at The Myton Hospices, I would like to say a huge thank you to Geoff. We are all incredibly grateful for everything he has done for Myton over the years and the fantastic amount he has raised.
“Each year, it costs over £14 million for us to provide our care free of charge to people and their families living with life-limiting illnesses across Coventry and Warwickshire. We simply couldn’t do it without the support of amazing people like Geoff!”
Geoff set a fund-raising target of £3,000, aiming to take his total to £12,500. Visit https://www.justgiving.com/page/geoff-kennedy-3 to donate.
Visit www.mytonhospice.org/support to raise funds for Myton.
