A South Yorkshire man has taken part in his first full marathon to raise funds for Doncaster’s hospice.
Matthew Parks (45) from Thurnscoe ran in the Yorkshire Marathon in York on Sunday 20 October, raising £1,246 for St John’s Hospice in memory of his Dad Alan Parks, who received care from its Community Specialist Palliative Care team in 2018.
Plant Operator Matthew, whose Mum Mona has been volunteering at St John’s Hospice since 2019, said: “This was a major personal challenge for me.
“I trained hard for over four months while working full time, becoming a granddad for the first time and, after completing half marathons in the past found the full 26 miles exhausting, especially the huge hill at the very end of the run.
“I had to dig deep, but I was proud to complete the event in three hours and 42 minutes.”
He added: “My family knows first-hand how brilliant the care the St John’s Hospice teams provide, and this was my way of giving something back and to say thank you.”
“I’d like to say a massive thank you to all my family and friends who
sponsored me and my colleagues at Bam Ritchies for giving my fundraising an extra boost!”
St John’s Hospice Fundraiser Maureen Harwood said: “A huge thank you to Matthew for his amazing support, this is a fantastic amount of money!
“I know his Mum Mona is very proud of him and so are we, for going that extra mile to raise funds to help other patients and families, who need our care and support. ”
St John’s Hospice is run by Rotherham Doncaster and South Humber NHS Trust (RDaSH) and is part of it’s Your Hearts and Minds charity. For more information on how to support St John’s Hospice, please visit Your Heart and Minds.
Published: December 24, 2024