And the Real Winners are… The Sanctuary Residents! May 8, 2009
Posted by Jonathan Mitchell in : Events , trackback
The Mid-Antrim Animal Sanctuary would like to extend a whole-hearted “thank you” to everyone who so generously sponsored Clare Kelly and Shane Steele to compete in the Belfast Marathon on the 4th of May. We hope you will be as pleased and proud as we are of how well they both did by completing the full 26 miles on a cold, grey, drizzly day.
Clare Kelly – a regular volunteer and dedicated dog walker – is eighteen years old, and a pupil at Antrim Grammar. Clare’s dog walking became an essential part of her training; honing her stamina in order to walk the full 26 miles in just under 7 hours – WELL DONE, CLARE!
Shane Steele, our Sanctuary kennel assistant, had also been in training for the past few months. Shane not only ran the full 26 miles but did it in just over three and a half hours! Together they rose over £1500.00, with sponsorship still coming in. We are all delighted with this result and with Clare and Shane requesting the funds be spent on outdoor facilities for the residents; we are all eagerly anticipating a tangible record of their enormous achievement.
Also pictured left, are three of the five wonderful young ladies who took part in the Marathon as a relay team – raising much needed funds for the Sanctuary. They all work in the Clear Pharmacy in Antrim, coming up with the idea through their mutual love of animals. Their time, energy and love certainly paid off as they donated over £500.00 to the upkeep of the shelter; again, with money still coming in! Their generosity is appreciated so much by everyone, but none more so than the residents in our care, who rely and benefit from such positive acts of kindness.
When asked if he would consider doing the marathon again next year, Shane replied; “Definitely! I hope to do better next year, going faster and raising more money and awareness. I’ve been speaking to quite a few others since Monday [4th of May] who are really interested in competing next year. It would be brilliant to have a bigger team, not just to raise more funds, but it would be really beneficial for training, pushing and encouraging each other on.”
If you would be interested in taking part in next year’s marathon, please contact Shane Steele at the Mid-Antrim Animal Sanctuary on: 028 94463993.
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