The Glasgow-based charity is putting the final touches on its 11th annual Off the Beatson Track event.
Scheduled for Sunday, August 25, in Glasgow, the 10k walk will be hosted by BBC’s David Farrell and STV’s Laura Boyd.
Over 2,000 participants are anticipated to join the sponsored walk, which will also feature Ambassadog Simba, his owner Chris Maitland, and Chris’s mother, Helen Maitland.
This event will mark Simba’s final official role as Ambassadog before his retirement. Simba was nominated for this role by Chris following Helen’s treatment at The Beatson West of Scotland Cancer Centre last year for breast cancer.
Helen, 70, shared, “I’ve told so many people about Simba being the Ambassadog, and I’m so proud to be involved with Beatson Cancer Charity in any way. It honestly makes me quite emotional.”
After undergoing a bilateral hip replacement, Helen has been training for the event. She mentioned, “I’m working on increasing my step count. My only concern is managing with two new hips, but I’ll just go with the flow and stay positive.”
Chris added, “The walk is not only a fantastic fundraising opportunity for the charity but also a chance for the community to unite and support one another. Simba has enjoyed every moment of his Ambassadog role, and this event is a great way to celebrate that.”
In the past decade, the event has seen more than 17,000 participants covering approximately 106,000 miles. It is fully accessible and welcomes people of all ages, concluding with family-friendly entertainment.
Participants will receive a free Off the Beatson Track t-shirt upon registration and a medal upon completion. The route starts at the Riverside Museum, passes through Kelvingrove Museum and Great Western Road, and returns to the Riverside Museum.
Attendees are encouraged to stay for the festival village, featuring food stalls and entertainment.
Maisie McCormick, community fundraising manager at Beatson Cancer Charity, said, “We’re thrilled to celebrate our 11th Off the Beatson Track event this year. We’re grateful to everyone who has participated over the years—some families have been with us since the start. We hope everyone will join in the celebrations this year. Each person who signs up helps us support more cancer patients and their families, and we can’t thank you enough for that.”
Source link
