Boys bid to help beat cancer

A bid by three young Wetherby friends to get dirty this weekend has had an amazing response.

Harry Manterfield, Ollie Saltmarsh and George Meaking, all 11-year-old Wetherby High pupils, will be wading through muddy pools and being blasted with muddy water in the Cancer Research Race for Life Pretty Muddy Kids 5k at York on Saturday.

The boys decided, just a week before the event, to raise money as Harry’s mum Helen was diagnosed with advanced lung cancer in late 2018 and George’s mum Vickie was diagnosed with breast cancer this year.

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Yet the response to their challenge has been amazing as Harry’s dad Richard Manterfield explained: “The boys have grown up together and enjoy playing football and are all very active lads.

“They decided that they wanted to do something, a challenge which would raise money for a charity which has helped support their friends and parents.

“They had just one week to raise as much money as they could, which we all thought was going to be a challenge in itself let alone the 5K.”

The boys, armed with their sponsorship forms, set out last Saturday afternoon and asked people that they knew to sponsor them.

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“Within an hour they returned home with sponsors worth over £150, which I thought was some achievement in such a short time,” said Richard who said they then set up just giving pages.

“What happened over the next two days was just amazing and beyond the belief of us as parents and the boys,” added Richard.

“By midday on Sunday they were heading for £1,000 in sponsorship and donations made through just giving which we all thought would be amazing if they could reach this milestone.”

News grew across social media of what the boys were doing and why which resulted in further generosity.

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Richard told the News on Monday: “As we speak now they have £2,070 on their just giving pages and a further £100 in sponsorship with an additional £457.50 in gift aid, making a total of £2622.

“All three boys will be running on Saturday knowing that they may have made a difference to those people touched by cancer in the hope that one day we may find a cure.”

Donations can be made at: https://fundraise.cancerresearchuk.org/page/harrys-race-for-life-327468401

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