FINAL STOP PRESS 21 July 2009

A full month since this campaign's climax at Henley Women's Regatta, we feel it is time to declare it a resounding success, and a ringing endorsement for all that is good about the people involved in rowing.

You have been persistent in making your donations despite this website's continued problems, and for that we and the Huntington's Associations are most grateful.  We now feel that it is ripe and timely to wind it all up, and extend once and for all our boundless admiration for your kindness and generosity.

To all those who supported, mucked in, pulled together and gave, we thank you.  And to those who really were wondering if Sarah was going to be racing with an 82 year old, may I extend my thanks for your generous compliments about my general vigour and wellbeing.

STOP PRESS 26 June 09

Firstly and above all, we want to thank everyone for their phenomenal generosity during this short and exhilarating campaign.  We knew you were a generous lot, but this has been something else!  Huge thanks to each and every one you, and also huge apologies to any of you who may have tried to donate on this page as the campaign reached its climax at Henley Women's Regatta last weekend.  Please try again, we are reassured it is now working properly.

In case you wondered what was going on, there was a disastrous "upgrade" of justgiving's website over the weekend which hijacked the online element of this fundraising campaign. 

No-one could donate, we could not log on to communicate with you in the brief moments it was up. Justgiving have issued an apology and we are urging people to come back and try and donate again.  If the site lets you down, please contact gemma@justgiving.com on 02070670925 (direct line) who will personally process your donation.  Finally we are negotiating with Justgiving regarding their 5% admin fee.

And through all that, we still want to express our deepest thanks to you, we know how much it means to the Scottish Huntingtons Association and its sister organisations the UK and Ireland.

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Sarah Winckless is a GB rowing heroine, bringing home one of the earliest Olympic medals won by our women (Athens, bronze in the double scull with Elise Laverick).  She helped pioneer the rise of the GB women's squad - and in doing so, became a double World champion.  She retired from international rowing in Spring.

Many of you will be aware of Sarah's heritage - her mother has Huntington's Disease, and Sarah is gene-positive for it.  Their fuller story is here:  http://www.hdscotland.org/Tell%20your%20Story.htm

Sarah and Victoria met at Walbrook Rowing Club in the early '90's.  Both were novices, and despite the obviously superior speed of Victoria on the water, she decided to step back and let Sarah take the success.  When she did apply herself to a quadrennial event, she plumped for the Commonwealths and trumped Sarah with a silver.  It's clear that Sarah is very lucky that Victoria has agreed to get in a boat with her.  Victoria is retired, a mother and feels like she's 82 years old.

Being retired, we could not get in a boat unless it was for something special.  And so we want to pull for Huntington's.  We will be racing at Henley Women's Regatta (www.hwr.org.uk) on the 20 - 21 June 2009 in the Women's Elite Double Sculls - and we would like you to accelerate us down the course by donating to the Scottish Huntington's Association, of which Sarah is patron.  If you can see your way to plumping up your donation should we win a round/s, then you know we will be pulling just a bit harder still.  Our crew is "Marlow / Henley".

STOP PRESS ONCE MORE ********************************************************

On 15 June, with 4 days still left of this campaign, we broke £25,000 (including giftaid).  Thank you so very much.  We want to thank Pharos Offshore Group in dispatches for their colossal £10,000 contribution - they did it because they know Sarah.  How about that.  But you do the math - what's clear is that the biggest source of all contributions comes from "smaller", individual's donations.  Junior, senior, veteran, GB, retired rowers in their droves, coaches, families of rowers, and their babies' piggy banks.  But no pennies mean more than those coming from people we have never met before, who just know what Huntington's is about.  Indeed, they are why we are doing it.

On 11 June, just 2 days into our 10 day campaign, we have hit over £17,000.  Something remarkable is happening here, and the chase for 5 zeros is becoming a reality (some clever clogs spotted the subliminal target).  Thank you to everyone, and we are pushing every minute to bring even more to this moving and exciting campaign.  If you have ideas for fundraising in the next few days, please share them with us:  victoriamaryelizabeth@hotmail.co.uk.  Thank you.

By 10 June (just 36 hours into the venture) we are over halfway to our target.  From this point on, all donations will be given to the UK and Ireland Huntington's Alliance - sharing equally between the Scottish, Irish, Welsh and English Huntington's Associations.  We cannot thank you enough for your donations - this is staggering.

Donating through Justgiving is quick, easy and totally secure. It’s also the most efficient way to sponsor us: Scottish Huntington's Association gets your money faster and, if you’re a UK taxpayer, Justgiving makes sure 25% in Gift Aid, plus a 3% supplement, are added to your donation.