A huge thank you to everyone who supported us at our first Isle of Wight Dash in the Dark.
As the sun began to set the crowd of supporters, covered in neon paint, fancy dress and glowsticks, were treated to a warm up from Snap Fitness before heading to start line of the 5K course.
People of all ages and abilities took part in the joyful evening – some even completed the dash with their dogs and one brave mother with their three-week-old baby.
So far, you have raised £16,078 – enough to cover the cost of five emergency missions – with more donations coming in and being counted. There’s still time to collect your sponsorship and submit your donations.
Pretending that my legs don’t feel like they’re about to fall off 😅
A fantastic evening at @HIOWAA’s first ever Dash in the Dark on the Isle of Wight! #IsleofWight I #DashintheDark I #Newport pic.twitter.com/j8Yt59OSI4
— Oliver Dyer (@Olidyer) October 8, 2022
Starting the event from the front of the pack was Cameron Shirley, who we airlifted from the Isle of Wight in 2018 when he suffered a traumatic brain injury when he was 17 years old.
Cameron stepping out of his scooter to cross the finish line
Cameron’s mum, Alysa, who was by Cameron’s side throughout the 5K course, said:
“The first time I saw him (in hospital) was as the team in orange and red suits walked in. Cameron had a scan and the air ambulance was called in – he was airlifted straight to Southampton.
“(As they left) I made the doctor promise to keep him alive. He promised.
“Without those people he would have died. Those precious minutes saved his life. I’m forever grateful.”
First to cross the finish line was Kevin Davis from Wright Estate Agency. He and 10 of his colleagues have raised over £600 to show their support.
Kevin said, “Everyone in the office has been so supportive of this cause. Nobody knows when they or someone they know is going to need the air ambulance.”
