Knit-a-thon

The Husky Trail is proving to be one of our most popular challenges with a whole team of MRF supporters taking up the challenge. As with many challenge events the sponsorship targets can be quite high, last month we told you about our own Kat Lacy and how she managed to raise extra funds for her trip, this month Steve's friend Sadie has been in touch to tell us about her idea.

In April 2010 my friend Steve Cullen is taking part in the Lapland Husky Trail: the challenge involves a 250km journey across Northern Norway and Sweden over 7 days, in temperatures as low as -20°C, whilst being in charge of his own pack of dogs, and if that wasn't enough he's planning to raise £4000 for MRF in the process! 

Steve is supporting MRF after his daughter Georgia contracted pneumococcal meningitis when she was 15 months old. After 2 weeks in hospital, including 3 days in the children’s Intensive Care Unit, Georgia was allowed home. As a result of meningitis, she had to learn how to sit, stand and walk all over again. The main impact of the meningitis was that Georgia was left profoundly deaf. Despite all this Georgia has grown into a lovely, happy, extrovert 4 year old. Steve says Georgia’s development wouldn’t have been possible without the fantastic support the family received from charities and health professionals alike, and by supporting the Meningitis Research Foundation he hopes to help prevent other families suffering the effects of the illness. Knowing Georgia and Steve and the rest of the Cullen clan, I really want to help Steve reach his target and support him through the challenge, so I considered my skills...and the idea of the knit-a-thon was born.

The idea is to knit as many 8” by 8” squares as possible, raising money along the way, which will then be turned into small blankets and donated to the Dolphin Ward at the Royal Berkshire Hospital, Reading, which is where Georgia was looked after during her stay in hospital.

I floated the idea at Knit Happens in Newbury, my favourite group of knitters to while away a couple of hours with, and the lovely Sue who teaches at Park House School in Newbury has already agreed to get the kids involved and host an event on 15th December at school. Everyone's welcome - if you want to get involved come along at 5pm - 8pm with your needles and we'll provide the wool, tea and biscuits.

So, any help will be really, really appreciated - if you have any spare wool you'd like to donate, spare time that you could knit a square (or 2!) or just to spread the word that would be amazing!