A fundraising campaign started by a Whitby woman in memory of a teenage boy who died from bone cancer is gathering pace ahead of this year’s Great North Run.
Joanna Powell-Lans turns 60 this year and Joshua Willamson would have turned 21, but died from bone cancer in 2019 at the age of 14.
While Jo has done the Great North Run (GNR) many times for The Bone Cancer Trust, as she is friends with Joshua’s parents, to mark the milestone birthdays she wanted to raise the bar and hold other fundraising events throughout the year with the aim of getting to £6,000.
Already the total raised stands at more than £4,000 and the GNR is still six weeks away.
Jo said: “This year, because I am 60, I said I will have a team for the GNR and run for Josh and the Bone Cancer Trust. He would have been 21, I am going to be 60 – it is a couple of good milestones.”
Through Whitby Running Club, where she is a member and run leader, Jo has recruited a team of 15 runners to tackle the half marathon route from Newcastle to South Shields on September 13.
They have each pledged to raise £350 for their race place.
Other fundraising events have included a cake sale, raffles, football cards, quiz nights, bingo, stalls at Goathland Farmers Market selling home-made crafts, crochet, bracelets and glass hearts.
Jo, of The Grove guest house, added: “This community are so generous and so many businesses have given us vouchers, it has been unbelievable.”
On August 8, Joshua’s parents will be doing the Gallon Walk as in previous years, the raffle will be drawn on August 13, Jo will have another stall at Goathland Farmers Market with a bottles and chocolates tombola on Saturday August 15, and an afternoon tea event is being planned for later in the summer.
“It will be my 19th Great North Run and it will be emotional when I get on that bus to go and see all the other runners”, she added.
