Story
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-size: small; color: #1c1c1c;">Please help me raise money for <span style="color: #ff0000;">Acorns Childrens Hospice</span></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: #1c1c1c;">In April 2011 I will be attempting to run the <span style="color: #ff0000;">West Highland Way</span> with my friend Jane. The route (approximately 100 miles) starts at Milngavie and finishes at Fort-William and we hope to complete it in 4 days.</span><span style="color: black;"> The terrain ranges from<strong><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span></strong><strong><span style="font-weight: normal; font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">lowland moors </span></strong>to<strong style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"> </strong><strong><span style="font-weight: normal; font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">high mountainous regions</span></strong> in the Scottish Highlands and we’ve been training hard for it since November 2010.</span></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-size: small;">I will also be running this year’s <span style="color: #ff0000;">Great North Run </span>in September as part of ‘Team Acorns’ created by our mutual friend George so please sponsor me whatever you can and help me raise as much as possible for this worth while cause.</span></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-size: small; color: #1c1c1c;">George’s granddaughter <span style="color: #ff0000;">Emily</span> died in the week before Christmas 2006 aged 5 yrs old, ending a long brave battle with Metochromatic Leukodystropy (MLD)</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-size: small; color: #1c1c1c;">MLD is a very rare disease and to date there is still no cure. Her ability to walk, talk and eat all deteriorated from diagnosis at the age of 2 years.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; line-height: 140%; text-align: left; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto;"><span style="font-size: small; color: #1c1c1c;">ACORNS were very supportive throughout this period and continue to help so many other families of children with life threatening diseases.- children who are unlikely to reach adulthood - who have an illness for which there is no cure.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; line-height: 140%; text-align: left; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto;"><span style="font-size: small; color: #1c1c1c;">On average, one of the children they care for will die each week.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; line-height: 140%; text-align: left; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto;"><span style="font-size: small; color: #1c1c1c;">It currently require £6 million a year to provide this service - £4500 per day for each of it's hospices - a daily bed cost of £450</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; line-height: 140%; text-align: left; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto;"><span style="font-size: small; color: #1c1c1c;">They only receive a small part of their income from central Government, the rest has to come from Donations from people like yourselves. Please help.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; line-height: 140%; text-align: left; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto;"><span style="font-size: small; color: #1c1c1c;">Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving – they’ll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they’ll send your money directly to the charity and make sure Gift Aid is reclaimed on every eligible donation by a UK taxpayer. So it’s the most efficient way to donate - I raise more, whilst saving time and cutting costs for the charity.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; line-height: 140%; text-align: left; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto;"><span style="font-size: small; color: #1c1c1c;">So please dig deep and donate now.</span></p>
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