There was a distinctive glow surrounding Southampton Common on Saturday evening (11 September), as around 800 people took part in the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Air Ambulance (HIOWAA) night-time 5K: Dash in the Dark.
Supporters of the life-saving charity, dressed head to toe in fancy dress and neon paint, have so far raised over £20,000. Donations are still pouring in and continue to be counted.
HIOWAA CEO, Richard Corbett, says:
“We have missed interacting with our supporters so much, and it was a pleasure to be able to get back out there with them again. To surpass the number of participants we saw in 2019, in a post-pandemic world, is huge testament to our dedicated supporters. We owe each of them so much. And it is because of them that we can continue doing what we do best: saving the lives of the most severely injured and critically ill people in our region.”
Local resident, Natalie, who took part in the 5K, said on Facebook, ‘Fantastic evening – thanks for a great event! Can’t wait to do it again next year.’
While Gillian who ran with her son said, ‘We had such a great time and the marshals were superb! It was also my 9-year-old son’s longest run, and he ran it non-stop!’
Due to the Coronavirus pandemic, Dash in the Dark was held virtually last year following a hugely successful 2019 event, which raised over £30,000 in total.
The life-saving Charity has been called out to over 1,000 emergencies across the region so far this year. For more information on the service, and for others way to raise money for HIOWAA, visit: www.hiowaa.org
