Simon Ranner
The Great Gorilla Run 2009
Fundraising for The Gorilla Organization
Story
Hi all,
I am taking part in the Great Gorilla Run on 26/09/2009 to raise money for Gorilla Organization and would really appreciate your support. You've seen the film (Gorillas in the Mist - Sigourney Weaver etc) now sponsor the run!
The gorilla organization's biggest and best-known fundraising event, happens every year in September - The Great Gorilla Run, and it is a day when hundreds of people dressed in gorilla suits run or walk 7 km to raise funds for gorillas. This year it's on the 26th which also happens to be my dear departed Dad's 78th birthday which, as a big supporter of many wildlife charities, seems even more fitting than the usual visit to his plot at the crematorium. Since the first race in 2003, thousands of people have donned their gorilla suits and run the 7km City of London route that takes in sights such as Tower Bridge and The Tate Modern.
Many of you may ask why this charity when there are so many worthy and human related causes. Well it's not just about my strange lack of post puberty body hair or the desire to run a suitably short distanced London landmark route without being slip streamed by Jimmy Saville OBE. This charity is both about the wildlife AND the people that live in their vicinity in some of the most difficult and perilous environments. These animals, a personal Zoo favourite of mine, are amongst the most endangered species on earth. Please read on....
The Threats
Imagine that you're one of the poorest people on earth. Now imagine your only chance to survive is by mining, farming and hunting in the rainforest next to your home. It's a no-brainer right? Trouble is this land is also home to some of the most endangered species in the world, and every time you enter the forest, you are damaging the forest and the gorilla habitat. Oh, and you're not alone - you live in one of the most densely populated areas in Africa.
How we help
The Gorilla Organization works with African NGOs (nice good organisations) to help local populations get everything they need outside the forest.
How helping local people helps gorillas
Everything the gorillas need is right there in the forest. So we work with local communities to make sure that the forest stays just as it is.
Take Isabelle for example - she lives in Rwanda right on the border of a National Park. Money raised by Great Gorilla runners means that we were able to show her how to grow giant crops to feed her family so she no longer has to collect food from the gorillas forest.
And Alphonsine - we showed her how to make her own firewood saving stove that uses 80% less wood than her old stove, so more trees stay in the forest for the gorillas, and life is a little less difficult for Alphonsine too.
Then there are the school children from Gitaraga Primary school with their new water cistern. They used to spend the first half of their day collecting water from the gorillas' forest, but now they just turn on the tap and have more time for learning.
The Gorilla Organization relies on the sponsorship and support from people like you. So be one of the extraordinary people that helps us save an incredible species in amazing ways all around the world, so that the world will always have great gorillas.
Thanks for visiting my fundraising page.
Donating through Justgiving is quick, easy and totally secure. It’s also the most efficient way to sponsor me: Gorilla Organization 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.
So please sponsor me now!