Joe Hughes & Matthew O’Connor on there 412 Mile Charity Challenge for The Azaylia Foundation! Interview w/ Kai Jasper
Two local dads are preparing to run 412 miles in nine days to raise £30,000 for the Azalea Foundation, supporting children and families affected by childhood cancer.
Joe, a personal trainer and online coach from Oldham, and Matt, a marketing agency owner from Whitworth, spoke to KJ on Unity Radio Primetime about the challenge, which begins at Manchester Children’s Hospital on Saturday, 19 September.
The pair will run approximately 50 miles a day, travelling between four children’s hospitals supported by the foundation: Manchester, Great Ormond Street in London, Oxford and Birmingham. Their final leg will take them to West Midlands Safari Park on 27 September, where the foundation will celebrate its fifth anniversary.
The challenge follows their previous fundraising effort, when they completed 103 miles around a running track in 24 hours.
“We did a challenge last year for the foundation,” Matt explained. “So, naturally, it needed to level up a bit this year.”
Alongside the run, Joe and Matt will deliver Jessie’s Joy Jars to each hospital. The sealed, age-specific jars are designed to bring comfort and entertainment to children receiving cancer treatment.
The Azalea Foundation was founded by Saf and Ash following the loss of their baby girl, Azalea. Joe and Matt have supported the foundation for several years, having previously helped with fundraising events.
For the pair, the challenge is about more than raising money. They hope to highlight the realities of childhood cancer and the support families need.
“If we can keep making decisions like this, even if it’ll help one family out or help raise awareness that drives someone to help that family out, then we’ll keep doing that,” Joe said.
Check Out TheFull Interview Here:
The runners are encouraging supporters to join them for parts of the route, with updates shared on Instagram via @jhuescoaching and @OCO81. Donations can be made through the link in their bios.
To listen back to more interviews visit:
https://www.unityradio.fm/category/listenback/listenback-guests
For more info on Primetime visit:
https://unityradio.fm/kai-jasper-urdays-friday-1300-1600-gmt/
