400 pledge to walk Mels Mile in Newbury tomorrow
Mel Leach, aged 59, was diagnosed with prostate cancer last June and as it was caught late on, it has now spread.
The former St Bartholomew’s School teacher of 14 years is currently receiving radiation therapy and may eventually have to have chemotherapy as well.
Mr Leach wants to say thank you to all the people who have supported him so far by hosting a morning of mile-long walk/runs raising money for the Royal Berkshire Hospital in Reading as well as the Newbury & District Cancer Care Trust.
He said: “I want to raise some funds to support them. Newbury & District Cancer Care Trust has been supporting me and my family through a lot of difficult times."
The ‘Mel’s Mile’ event will be supported by London 2012 Olympic bronze medal hockey star, Alex Danson, a friend of the family. She will run the first lap of every mile with some of her Reading Hockey Club colleagues.
Mr Leach, whose wife Lindsay is currently a PE teacher at St Bartholomew's School and daughter, Christie is in year 11 at the school, said: "It has just snowballed.
“Lots of people have wanted to get involved - it has been great."
The event takes place tomorrow (Sat) from 9am at St Bart’s Fifth Road playing fields.
There will be six separate mile-long events starting at 9am and then every 30 minutes until 11.30am.
Each event will start with a warm up and participants are being encouraged just to turn up and take part.
A donation to take part has been suggested of £5 for adults and £2.50 for children. On the day there will also be a cake sale and raffle.
For photographs and a report from the event, see next week's Newbury Weekly News.
