UPDATE - Issue 18 - Summer 2004
Travel a Million Prostate Miles
In our last edition we explained how we wanted to give our supporters the opportunity to become more involved in helping to raise funds for medical research, and how Roger Plail, one of our intrepid Kilimanjaro Climbers, had devised a project that could be as challenging as individuals wish to make it. He christened it A Million Prostate Miles and proposed the logo -
A Million Prostate Miles is simple, all-inclusive, and open to everyone, irrespective of age or gender. The event is straightforward:
Supporters would aim cover one million 'prostate miles' in any way possible: walking, flying, swimming, skateboarding, driving, whatever takes the imagination.
A 'prostate mile' is simply one mile sponsored for one pound. But if you can persuade 5 people each to sponsor you for £10 to swim one mile, you will actually have done 50 prostate miles. Unfortunately, if you are unlucky enough to be sponsored for only 10p a mile by only one person, you will have to cover 10 miles just to get one prostate mile! At its simplest, a prostate mile boils down to £1!
Have you decided how to participate?
We previously talked of Group Leaders organising Team Leaders et al as one way of achieving our target, and many readers felt, quite rightly, that this was too prescriptive. It was only intended as an example, and we urge our readers to think of innovative, exciting and fun ways to raise donations and to encourage their families, friends and supporters to sponsor them or even organise their own sponsored events.
We have already had some tremendous offers and a few examples might give you some ideas:
One supporter is urging all the members of his golf club to pay him £1 for each hole they play on a particular day. If he gets 16 golfers playing 18 holes to 'sponsor' this, he will achieve 288 'sponsored miles'!
A second supporter is busy persuading his gym to sponsor the miles he, and others, runs on the treadmill. Over a long period this could be a significant amount of money.
Another is gathering sponsors for a long swim, some plan to run marathons while others are preparing for cycle rides.
A Million Prostate Miles will be formally launched at the annual Savoy Lunch on 20 October, and all of our charity staff are already planning their own events and seeking sponsors.
But what has this got to do with you? Simple - we want you to get involved in whatever way you can, either as a volunteer raising money from your own sponsors, or by sponsoring someone else, or by persuading others to do the same.
If you want to help us - and we do need you - please contact Lesley Catterall with your outline plan. We can offer advice and will send you a personalised sponsorship form which will allow us to boost your fundraising efforts by claiming Gift Aid - 28p per £1 from the Government.
Above all, we want you to help us stop prostate diseases destroying lives.