Plan to Raise Funds for Young Cancer Patients
A Coventry based former council youth worker has inspired a team of runners to take up the Decathlon Coventry Half Marathon.
Haroon Mota and a team of 34, who are being sponsored by cosmetic company MesmerEyez, are set to take up the March 23rd challenge with the aim of inspiring individuals to take part; particularly from the ethnic minority community.
The team also plan to raise funds for young cancer patients at University College Hospital in London, with the aim of raising £100 individually.
Last year Haroon, along with a team of 23 rose over £7,000 for Coventry’s Muslim School. His passion for fundraising has spurred him to set up the T15 Play Fund, which aims to support the teenage and young adult cancer patients at UCLH with recreational activities, therapeutic interventions, and emotional support.
The Senior Activity Coordinator at UCLH said, “During my time working at the Council, I helped to steward Coventry’s half marathon, where I was really taken aback by the lack of ethnic minorities taking part in the event. This spurred me to take up running, and sign up for events. For me, it doesn’t matter if you walk, jog or run those miles, as long as you are doing something that is a challenge to you, you will always be a winner.”
Haroon is running this year’s challenge with a team made up of over thirty Asian runners, including females for the first time. “Asian women can find it difficult to find an entry into physical activity, and participation is extremely low in the local communities. To have women on the team is a real milestone, and hopefully in years to come we will see more and more take part.”
For more information on the T15 Play Fund or to sponsor #TeamMesmerEyez, please visit www.justgiving.com/t15playfund.
