Fire fighters from Highgate, Kings Norton, Ladywood and Northfield fire stations are taking on a job like no other as they prepare to tackle the BUPA Great Birmingham Run as part of Team Cure Leukaemia.
The 22-strong team of Fire fighters will take on the run in full uniform and they hope to raise £10,000 for the blood cancer charity which raises money to fund Specialist nurses to administer potentially live saving drug trials to blood cancer patients in the West Midlands.
Crew Commander and former leukaemia patient Adam Joyce rallied the team together for the half marathon following a successful stint in the Cure Leukaemia Fun Run last summer. Adam was first diagnosed with the disease in 2000 and was treated at the QE Hospital by Professor Charlie Craddock who is the co-founder of Cure Leukaemia and director at the Centre for Haematology at the hospital. Adam has since made a full recovery and has supported Cure Leukaemia since it first launched ten years ago.
The fire fighters have made plans to start training together one Saturday a month for the four months between now and the run. Adam and the team will also be putting on a number of fundraising activities to help them meet their sponsorship target, including charity car washes across Birmingham.
Adam Joyce said: “We have come up against some challenges in the past, but taking on the BUPA Great Birmingham Run is a first for us! Having been personally affected by leukaemia, I have been involved with the charity since day one and it is truly inspiring to see what amazing things it has done to support people over the last ten years. We hope by coming out in force we can raise a significant amount of money for them.”
James McLaughlin, CEO of Cure Leukaemia, said: “It is because of people like Adam and his team that we are able to raise new funds to continue to support leukaemia sufferers. There is a special connection between Adam and our work and we’re honoured to have him and his amazing team behind us. It’s brilliant that they will be running together in uniform – you certainly won’t miss them!”
For more information or to join the team email info@cureleukaemia.co.uk or call 0121 236 9202