For the second year running, Claire House Children’s Hospice hosted its fundraising ‘Splash Dash’ in Sefton Park.
It’s a 5K dash with a difference, as for every kilometre completed participants are pelted with powdered paint.
The theme represents the fact that the charity prides itself on being a place where, despite the difficult situations the families are going through, everyone involved can go and relax and have some fun.
Claire House Events and Community Manager, Kirsty Simpson, told JMU Journalism: “The Claire House Splash Dash is always such an emotional event for us as a fundraising team.
“So much hard work goes into making it the best event possible and it’s amazing to see so many people really enjoying themselves whilst raising money to support families who really need us.”
The Wirral-based charity was established in 1998 after nine-year-old Claire Cain lost her battle with cancer.
Claire’s family originally set up the charity to raise enough money to build a centre dedicated to providing respite and care for children and young people who won’t live to be adults. Currently, the hospice helps over 190 families in the UK.
It is now one of the most recognised charities in the country, with over 2,000 people turning up to Sefton Park on Saturday morning to take part in the ‘dash’, which is estimated to have raised more than £100,000.
Hayley Smallman from Liverpool, whose daughter Holly uses the Children’s Hospice, said: “The kids couldn’t wait to get involved in this year’s event.
“As a family, we’re always so keen to give whatever we can back to Claire House; they support us so much, we simply couldn’t cope without their help.”
Video report by Connor Dunn, JMU Journalism TV, additional reporting by Natalie Townsend