Alfie's Marathon March
On 30 September, a Fareham-based family completed a marathon challenge to raise awareness of the two charities who support their 10-year-old son, Alfie. The challenge was a 26-mile trek from one charity to the other, and Alfie took part alongside his family using his wheelchair.
Alfie has complex medical healthcare needs and is supported by Naomi House & Jacksplace and Sebastian’s Action Trust, a charity providing care for seriously ill children, in Basingstoke.
The seven strong team of family and friends, along with Alfie, completed the 26-mile challenge by trekking from Sebastian’s Action Trust to Naomi House & Jacksplace, and then back again. It was important to the family that Alfie could be part of the challenge, so they made sure he could join the adventure by using hoists to help with his wheelchair, which weighs 90kg, and navigate the trickier parts of the route – through boggy fields and up steep hills.
So far, the ‘Alfie’s Marathon March’ team have raised more than £4,500, to be shared between both charities.
Samantha Dale, Alfie’s mum, said:
We did the challenge to raise money for two lovely charities that are close to our hearts. We wanted to say thank you to them and show that we appreciate their service.
We were really anxious about how it would go. If Alfie was having a bad day then it would have been really tricky, as at times he can't sit in his wheelchair for over an hour. Luckily, he loved it and did so well. At the end everyone was tired and getting slower but Alfie’s laughing kept us all going.
I think Alfie enjoyed being carried like a king and that the whole day was about him. We are so proud. Our aim was to raise £1,000 for each charity and we have smashed that, raising over £4,000 and counting! We all have aches and blisters, but it was definitely worth it.
Pete Abrahams, Head of Supporter Services at Naomi House & Jacksplace, said:
Alfie and his wonderful family and friends are an absolute inspiration. Meeting Alfie and his team at their halfway mark as they reached the hospices on Saturday was brilliant; they had made great time, were full of laughter and absolutely determined to keep going. What a phenomenal effort and achievement. We are so grateful to everyone who has supported Alfie’s Marathon March, every donation helps to support families who need our care and support. Our huge thanks to Alfie and team!
Megan Lowden, Community Fundraiser at Sebastian’s Action Trust, said:
Sebastian’s Action Trust cannot thank Alfie and his family enough following on from their Marathon March on Saturday 30 September. Seeing them walking round the corner of our Bluebells site after a 26-mile walk was such a special moment. Their determination and passion to fundraise for the Trust is something we will always admire. Thank you to Alfie, his mum Samantha and the rest of his support crew for taking on such a tricky challenge to fundraise and raise awareness for Sebastian’s Action Trust. Their support with ensure that we continue to provide emotional and practical support for seriously-ill children and their families. Always.
If you'd like to support Alfie's Marathon March, visit his JustGiving fundraising page.
