Fraser Mackay: June 2010

Please help me raise much needed funds for The Leukaemia & Lymphoma Research, a most worthwhile charity which is entirely funded through donations.

My charity activities in 2010 involve:

Climb Mulhacen in the Sierra Nevada Mountains, the highest mountain in Spain at 3,478M (11,415 feet). This was successfully completed on 29^th April, taking nine hours of tough walking.

Compete in the Welsh 1,000M Peak Race. This is a grueling challenge over 32kms and 8,000ft of ascent. Completed on Saturday 5^th June 2010.

Train and then lead a wonderful Team of youngsters from Grant Thornton, Manchester Office in The National UK Three Peaks Challenge, who are all fund raising for Leukemia & Lymphoma Research. The mountains of Ben Nevis, Scafell Pike and Snowdon need to be climbed on 19^th/20^th June; this being attempted over a continuous twenty four hour window. Another massive challenge in walking around twenty five miles, the height climbed is around 10,000 feet and the road distance to be covered between the mountains is some 450 miles. This is very much a TEAM effort.

Participate in the Parish Walk on Isle of Man over 85 miles (within a 24 hour window) on 26^th/27^th June 2010. There are 1,693 entrants this year and last year I was one of 185 people to complete the race within the twenty four hour period.

·Hadrian’s Wall Path 12^th to 16^th July. With three walking friends, Stuart, Martin and Steve we are walking from Bowness-On-Solway to Wallsend. Steve and I are carrying our tents and camping while Martin and Stuart are staying in B&Bs.

Leukaemia & Lymphoma Research need to raise £120million over the next five years to continue their life-saving research into better diagnosis, treatments and cures for all those with blood cancers. Around 28,500 people of all ages, from newborn babies to grandparents are diagnosed in the UK with blood cancers every year.

Leukaemia & Lymphoma Research has made great progress with childhood leukaemia. When the charity started in 1960 children with leukaemia had virtually no chance of survival. Now thanks to their research nine out of ten survive the most common form of childhood leukaemia. The aim is now to ensure people of all ages are given the best possible chance of survival and of living a normal healthy life after treatment for blood cancer.

The Charity’s achievements are all the more remarkable given that they rely entirely on voluntary support and receive no government funding. Research takes time and there is much more to be done which needs all our support.

All my challenges this year are in memory of my late walking friend Graeme Whittaker who so sadly died on 30^th September, 2009 from cancer.

To donate to this worthy charity click on this link to be taken to the JUSTGIVING website.

Thank you.

9^th June 2010