<p>&nbsp;</p> <p><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"> </span></p> <p><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; font-family: &amp;amp;quot;Calibri&amp;amp;quot;,&amp;amp;quot;sans-serif&amp;amp;quot;; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Hi All,</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; font-family: &amp;amp;quot;Calibri&amp;amp;quot;,&amp;amp;quot;sans-serif&amp;amp;quot;; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">So, I decided to run a marathon and I wanted to take the opportunity to raise money for a charity whose work I know very well.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; font-family: &amp;amp;quot;Calibri&amp;amp;quot;,&amp;amp;quot;sans-serif&amp;amp;quot;; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Hope &amp; Aid Direct was founded to take humanitarian aid into Kosovo in 1999 after war ripped the country apart.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; font-family: &amp;amp;quot;Calibri&amp;amp;quot;,&amp;amp;quot;sans-serif&amp;amp;quot;; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">They raise money and collect donations of food, medicine, clothes, tools, toys then drive these supplies directly into Kosovo,&nbsp;<span><span style="background: white;">Romania, Bosnia, Croatia and Serbia themselves - with a motto of 'Taking Aid, Not Sides.'</span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; font-family: &amp;amp;quot;Calibri&amp;amp;quot;,&amp;amp;quot;sans-serif&amp;amp;quot;; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">My dad took part in numerous trips into the area when the charity was first set up by him &amp; Chas Storer. Having seen photos of the people H&amp;AD help, heard stories of the risks the volunteers face travelling through so many boarders, down poorly constructed roads, over mountains and through areas where tensions still run high, I can assure anyone generous enough to donate that your money is genuinely spent helping people who had their homes, families and lives destroyed.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; font-family: &amp;amp;quot;Calibri&amp;amp;quot;,&amp;amp;quot;sans-serif&amp;amp;quot;; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"> Nearly every penny H&amp;AD raise is spent funding the trucks which their volunteers drive (and live in) during the twice yearly trips. All the supplies H&amp;AD take they source themselves from <span><span style="background: white;">individuals, churches, clubs, schools and companies</span> &ndash; I&rsquo;ve seen what a lorry full of pasta looks like &ndash; that&rsquo;s a lot of hungry mouths fed.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; font-family: &amp;amp;quot;Calibri&amp;amp;quot;,&amp;amp;quot;sans-serif&amp;amp;quot;; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">I hate having charities tug at my heart strings. But having been too young to hop in a lorry with my dad, I want to do as much as I can to help H&amp;AD now.&nbsp;</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; font-family: &amp;amp;quot;Calibri&amp;amp;quot;,&amp;amp;quot;sans-serif&amp;amp;quot;; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">If anyone would like some more info on H&amp;AD or to hear some of the more memorable stories my Dad has come back with, please let me know.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Every penny you can spare really is a huge help and will keep me going on 15 April 2012.&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><a href="http://www.hopeandaiddirect.net/">http://www.hopeandaiddirect.net/</a></p> <p><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qZlpK7xkk1I&amp;amp;amp;feature=related">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qZlpK7xkk1I&amp;feature=related</a></p>