Merseyside-based Claire House Children’s Hospice have thanked the “incredible” group of almost 200 kind-hearted fundraisers who completed the recent BTR Liverpool Santa Dash on their behalf.
An impressive 185 runners donned a Santa suit and pulled on their running shoes to take part in the 16th annual festive spectacular for Claire House.
Claire House Children’s Hospice was the official charity partner for the BTR Liverpool Santa Dash 2019 – the UK’s biggest festive 5K fun run – which attracted 6,000 participants.
The fundraising group raised more than £11,000 for Claire House Children’s Hospice, which has bases in Wirral and Liverpool. Additional funds are still being collected which will further increase the final total.
The team included a group of 20 players and parents from Neston Nomads Girls Under 14 football team, who have been supporting the charity for over 12 months. They have already raised more than £5,000 as a group through various fundraising activities.
They were joined by teams from the Carpenters Group; Mowgli restaurant on Water Street in Liverpool; Livent in Wirral; and Starbucks on Old Hall Street in Liverpool city centre who also hosted the charity’s Santa Dash Breakfast After Party for those who took part on the day.
Laura Fallon, Running & Challenge Fundraiser, at Claire House Children’s Hospice, commented:
“It was another amazing BTR Liverpool Santa Dash with our Claire House participants raising more than £11,000 – a fantastic amount of money for the charity.
“The funds raised so far could pay for five months’ worth of play therapy – providing fun, distraction and reassurance to children and their siblings during their time at the hospice.
“We’d like to thank everyone who took part to support Claire House, our volunteers who helped on the day, and mascot Claire Bear who started the Mink Dash – you’re all truly incredible.”
Claire House helps seriously ill and terminally ill children live life to the full by creating wonderful experiences and bringing back a sense of normality to family life. By providing specialist nursing care and emotional support, the charity strives to help families smile again when life is tough.
Over the past six years, the charity has seen an 84% increase in the number of children using the hospice – and therefore needs to increase the care it can offer families in their homes, help more children at its Wirral hospice, and increase the services it can offer in Liverpool.
First staged in 2004, the BTR Liverpool Santa Dash was created by BTR Liverpool Race Director Alan Rothwell. Each year, Liverpool city centre is transformed into a sea of red, blue and mini Santas – and is highly regarded as the city’s kick-start to Christmas.
The accessible event is open to everyone, and each year attracts thousands of Santas who walk, jog or run the 5K course. The event also includes a 1K Mini Dash or youngsters aged 12 and under.
BTR Liverpool is the leading independent organisation for creating, managing and delivering headline race events across Liverpool City Region.
The BTR event portfolio also includes the long established BTR Liverpool Half Marathon which marks its 27th consecutive year in March 2020; BTR Mersey Tunnel 10K; Port Sunlight Road Race 5K and 10K; and the 52-mile BTR Tour Of Merseyside.
The BTR Liverpool Santa Dash 2020 is on Sunday 6 December, entries are open now with an early bird registration price. Blue Santa suit places are limited. Find out more at www.btrliverpool.com/santa-dash
The BTR Liverpool Santa Dash registration fee covers all costs to organise and deliver the event including road closures, safety measures, Santa suits, medals, and entertainment.
The BTR Liverpool portfolio for 2020 starts with the long established BTR Liverpool Skyline Half Marathon on Sunday 15 March, which marks the 27th consecutive year the race has been staged. The event also includes the BTR 10 Mile Road Race.
