Race For Life money still to be handed in (From York Press)

Race For Life money still to be handed in

9:42am Friday 16th November 2012 in News By Richard Catton, Health reporter

Runners warm up for this year’s Race For Life on Knavesmire

VITAL sponsorship money has still not been handed in by women who took part in Cancer Research UK’s Race for Life at York in June.

The charity estimates a third of sponsorship money may still be sitting in homes and workplaces and is compounding the shortfall caused by lower than expected entry numbers for the annual event.

Only 2,851 women took part in the fun run on Knavesmire – lower than the expected 4,000.

Jenny Key, a regional fundraiser and organiser of Race for Life, said: “We already knew this might mean that the event may not raise as much as we had wished for. However, we know that around a third of the women who took part in Race for Life across the UK last year didn’t send in any sponsorship money for whatever reason.

“In York we had a target of raising £240,000 and so far we have had £153,000 sent in, but there is more out there. We set our targets on what was raised the year before.

“We just need to remind people that taking part in the event is just one part of the Race for Life and returning the money is the second part.”

She said she understood people had busy lives and that many people may have forgotten or simply never got round to sending the money they raised.

She said: “The sponsorship money could be sitting on a desk at work or on your kitchen table.

“We don’t get any Government funding so every penny raised by the people of York is vital.

“In York we are funding trials at York Hospital into a treatment for a type of breast cancer. And across Yorkshire, as a region, Cancer Research UK spends £9 million on research into different types of cancer and supporting the work of doctors and nurses.

“We can’t make a difference if we don’t get the funds.”

Sponsorship can be paid online, by phone or by cheque. Visit raceforlife.org for more details