Old and young put Best Foot Forward in Wolverhampton fundraiser
From tots in pushchairs to pensioners in running gear – hundreds of fundraisers put their best foot forward to support good causes, raising £11,000 for charity.
The fourth annual Best Foot Forward challenge arranged by the Rotary Club of Wolverhampton took place on Saturday, with those involved lapping Aldersley Stadium over a 12-hour period.
For every time they covered a single 400m lap of the circuit, participants earned £1 for charity.
From the support of patrons alone, of which the Express & Star was one, organisers say £11,000 has been raised, with the final figure to be tallied up in the coming days. The event is expected to have raised up to £20,000 for different charities overall.
It was an event for all ages, with toddlers and pensioners joined on the track by people walking their dogs and runners in fancy dress.
Stuart Bailey, 43, from Bilbrook, got into the swing of things by dressing up as the Jolly Green Giant.
It was a far cry from his attire last year when he was dressed up as Morticia from the Addam's Family.
The stores manager told the Express & Star: "I'm always out to dress up and do different things to make people laugh and raise lots of smiles.
"I did this for the first time last year and it was great - the dedication from everyone helping out was amazing.
"It's a brilliant event, I love it."
The funds were donated by around 40 local firms.
Each entrant paid a fee to take part which covered the cost of staging the event and hiring the microchips that logged people's laps.
Roy Grew, 76, has completed an amazing 176 marathon distances - although many of these were ultra-marathon distances.
He hailed the inclusive nature of the event as its key for attracting such a big turnout year on year.
Mr Grew said: "I only did about 10km today but I've done this every year so far.
"It's a lovely atmosphere and great to raise money for charity.
"It's such a wonderful thing to be able to run one lap of the track and earn a pound for a good cause."
The cash raised will be split between the Rotary's three chosen charities - Acorns, Wolverhampton Samaritans and the Rotary Charitable Trust.
The event was supported by the Express & Star, Wolverhampton council, Wolverhampton West magazine and the James Beattie Charitable Trust.
