Firstly I would like to thank everyone that has donated money so far to the hospice, the money will go a long way to help care for many other patients.

Anita passed away at 9am on Wednesday 6th May 2015 at St Richards Hospice Worcester, aged 52 yrs.

Anita's funeral was on the 26th of May, although it was a sad day it was everything she wanted, her orders were very precise so I had no option but to execute her instructions otherwise I might have regretted it !!

She had battled with cancer for 15 years after having been told she only had 3 months to live, she was only 37 yrs old. Her immediate response was I haven't got time to have f***ing cancer. Our three boys Antonio, Roberto and Stefano were 12 yrs, 9yrs, and 2 yrs.

From that day onwards she was inspirational in many ways but especially on how to cope with a terminal disease . She explored every potential cure, alternative and conventional treatment over the years, she gained so much knowledge that others would come to her for advice.

Early on we  both travelled to Mexico to a hospital called The Oasis Of Hope in Tijuana where we stayed for 3 weeks. They used complimentary therapy alongside conventional treatments. We both learnt a lot about diet and lifestyle, both of which have a big impact on your health. They also helped us physiological re-tuning our thinking into adapting your life to live with cancer, by achieving this it should not prevent you from doing anything you want to do.

Anita has always had a passion for life, so she got on and lived her life to the full often in a very spontaneous way which was always interesting and enjoyable to be a part of.

Throughout the 15 years we were in and out of hospitals as the cancer would rear its head again, she always took full control of her treatment, at times deciding to stop as it got too much for her. She listened to her body talking to her and would take action. She showed incredible courage to take those decisions , and I truly believe that if she hadn't of done she may have passed away sooner.

She fought really hard, her objective was always to be around for as long as possible to raise our boys. She did an amazing job as we have 3 great sons of whom we are very proud of.

Her personality was infectious , once you met Anita you would never forget her. Her outlook on life was always positive and optimistic even through adversity she was still able to have an amazing attitude. She was very loving, caring and generous with both her time and money, always wanting to help others less fortunate than herself.

The life and soul of the party is an understatement. Anita taught us a lesson in life which has enriched our lives and she will never be forgotten.

The last 10 weeks of Anita's life was spent at St. Richards Hospice in Worcester - What an amazing place!!!

Throughout Anita's treatments , we have experienced many hospitals both NHS and Private, but the level of care and compassion that was shown to Anita, myself , the boys, family and friends was outstanding. I would like to personally thank them for everything they have done throughout those 10 weeks for Anita. Hence the reason why myself and the boys would like to help raise funds for the Hospice.

So what are we doing to earn your support for this brilliant cause ....

The warm up is TOUGH MUDDER on the 22nd August - a team has been entered but more are very welcome to suffer alongside us!

Then this year's ORANGEBOX "Big Ride To Work" on the 5th and 6th of September will see a team of 25 riders (me included of course) cycling 200 miles in 2 gruelling days from our Huddersfield showroom down to our new factory and headquarters in Treforest, South Wales.

The route will mean us doing over 16,000ft of climbing!! (that's around two and half times the height of Snowden on both days)

Day 1- 90 miles : Huddersfield to Telford going through the brutal but beautiful Peak district and over the infamous Holme Moss. This monster hill alone presents the challenge of a 3 mile climb peaking out toward the top of the beast at a staggering 22% gradient.

Day 2- 110 miles : Telford to Nantgarw navigating through the Shropshire Hills and then down through the even more punishing Brecon Beacons. This will include the fearsome Blaen-Y-Glyn climb at the southern end of the Talybont on Usk reservoir which has an average gradient of 12% and some eye watering spikes reaching 17%, not what you want with 65 miles already in your legs and 45 miles still left to ride !

As if that wasn't punishment enough, as a third challenge we have a small team of 6 going to the Alps to ride a few stages of the Tour de France between the 26th and 30th September. More details to follow later.

So please dig deep for such a great cause in support of everyone taking part in these challenges & YES, i am taking part in every challenge !!

Thank You, Mino.

Anita Kay Vernaschi

14th March 1963 - 6th May 2015

Its the DASH - that matters not the dates

Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.

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. So it’s the most efficient way to donate – saving time and cutting costs for the charity.