On April 17th I am running the London Marathon (and it will be my last!) to raise money for my niece's charity. As most of you will know she was the victim of an acid attack in March 2008 which nearly ended her life. Since then she has been a real inspiration to me, and many others, for her determination to get on with her life. The whole of my sister's family have shown real courage in dealing with this ordeal and since that date Katie has featured in a Channel 4 Documentary (Katie - My Beautiful Face) and many other programmes. She has also won many awards for her bravery and was one of the Daily Mail's inspirational Women of the Year. She has set up her own charity which you can read about - www.katiepiperfoundation.org.uk - with Simon Cowell as Patron. There will be a 'follow-up' programme in March/April this year, and the publication of a book she has written.
I would love to raise at least £5000, which is an ambitious sum, but with your generosity, I am sure this could be achieved.
It will be a tough run as I am not as young and fit as I used to be, but I am happy to endure the pain for 4 to 5 hours! Compared to what Katie has been through, it will be a walk in the park!
Please give as generously as you can, and my heartfelt thanks for your anticipated support.
You can see a picture of Katie on the far left, with my daughter Louise in the middle.
Thanks once again for reading this.
Regards,
Christopher Piper
