A SCHOOLBOY from Warwick has adopted the spirit of the Captain Sir Tom Moore in support of a local charity.
Eight-year-old William Colegate is running 62 miles in aid of Molly Olly’s Wishes.
The kind-hearted youngster from Hatton Park is already well on his way to hitting his target of £500, the cost of one wish granted by the charity, which supports children with terminal and life-limiting illnesses.
Ferncumbe CofE Primary pupil William is joined on his daily two-mile runs by his mum and dad, and is due to finish his fund-raising task on Valentine’s Day.
He said: “I’m going to double it to four miles because it’s a special day.
Mum Emma, a Warwick Hospital nurse, said: “I’m very proud of him. It’s a lovely thing to do and was all his own idea. He had enjoyed the treasure hunt that Molly Olly’s Wishes had organised over Christmas so much he decided he wanted to raise some money for them.
“He’s raised more than £450 so far. The charity told us that £500 is about the cost of one wish so we would like at the very least to achieve that.
Molly Olly’s Wishes was established by Rachel and Tim Ollerenshaw in 2011 following the death of their eight-year-old daughter Molly from a rare kidney cancer.
The Hatton Park-based charity works to support children with terminal or life-limiting illnesses and their families and help with their emotional wellbeing as well as grant wishes and donate therapeutic toys and books to both children directly and to hospitals throughout the UK.
Mascot of the charity is a therapeutic toy lion called Olly The Brave who has his own Hickman line and a detachable mane which helps to explain and normalise the effects of chemotherapy.
Rachel said: “To see William running around Hatton Park and chatting to him about why he wanted to run and explaining what the charity does has been lovely. It hasn’t exactly been ideal running conditions with snow, wet days and just generally being bleak so for someone so young wanting to make a difference for other children is inspiring. We think William is a superstar and we are extremely grateful to him and his parents for their support.”
Visit www.justgiving.com/fundraising/will-colegate to donate.
