Honiton Community College sixth formers are still organising and running their traditional 24-hour event of endurance and making lots of money for a local charity – despite the disruption caused by the coronavirus pandemic.
The college’s post-16 director Selena Burroughs said: “Sixth formers and staff from the last six years have raised well over £10,000 for local charities – which they are very proud of and this year is a huge challenge for us all.”
Here’s how this year’s event will work: an area of the lower field at the college will be marked out in the approximate shape of Devon to a measured distance. There will be marker points along the way to make it feel more realistic.
Two sixth form students or staff will then sign up for a 10-minute slot to walk, run or jog as many laps as they can in that time. It will run as a relay, with hopefully lots of people taking their turn.
A continual tally of the laps will be recorded until the students and supporters reach the completion of 2,400 laps which equals the perimeter of Devon, 350miles.
The event starts at 1pm on Thursday, June 24 and will be continuous until 1pm on the Friday or before.
Selena said: “The charity that we will be raising money for is the local cancer charity Force.”
Force – Friends of the Oncology and Radiotherapy Centre, Exeter – became a charity in 1987 and has grown steadily ever since.
In 2004 it opened a purpose-built Cancer Support and Information Centre, thanks to more than £900,000 raised by local people and the tireless work of the Force team. A £350,000 extension to the centre was opened in 2012, allowing the charity to support even more people affected by cancer.
Force says it has never lost sight of its origins and core belief that people deserve the best possible support and treatment, face to face and close to home. In 2014 the charity began providing services in Tiverton and Okehampton and in 2018 extended that outreach programme to include Honiton.
It also funds the delivery of chemotherapy in all three towns.
They are also committed to improving patient care by funding research and innovation.