Express & Star

Runners enjoy festive run around Wolverhampton park to help sight loss charity

A record number of people have taken on a festive run to help a charity helping people with sight loss.

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There were a record number of Santas taking part in the event at West Park

There was red and white clothing everywhere and a festive feeling in the air as people braved the cold and wet and dressed as Santa to take part in the Santa Run in aid of the Beacon Centre for the Blind.

The sight loss charity welcomed more than 250 runners to West Park in Wolverhampton for its annual festive fundraising on Sunday, with families, friends and dogs all coming together to run the 5K course around the park.

Beacon Centre chief executive Lisa Cowley poses with the Mayor and Mayoress of Wolverhampton ahead of the event

The festive fun was started by the Mayor of Wolverhampton, Councillor Dr Michael Hardacre and Mayoress Lynn Hardacre.

Adults who took part received their own Santa suit as a thank you for supporting the charity, while youngsters got a Santa hat and doggy participants received a bespoke wooden medal.

Beacon Centre income generation director Stella Pitt said: “We’d like to thank everyone who turned out to help us kickstart Christmas with our annual Santa Run.

“It has been a festive morning to remember, and we’d like to thank everyone who took part to help us ensure no one living locally has to face sight loss alone.

“We’d also like to say a special thank you to everyone who has asked their friends and family to sponsor them to take part, we so appreciate your support.”

The Santas set off in the race

The Santa Run is one of several fundraisers held by the charity to support its work over the festive season, with its annual Forget Me Not Service set to take place at Beacon’s Sedgley base on Wolverhampton Road East on Thursday, December 7.

The charity said it hoped that, together, the events will raise more than £6,000 to support Beacon’s work with people impacted by sight loss around the region.

To find out more about the charity and the work it does, go to beaconvision.org

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