DG’s 5K fun run for new ambulance
Cayman Heart Fund Chairman David Dinner (left) and Deputy Governor Franz Manderson
(CNS): As he limbers up for this year’s 5K Challenge, Deputy Governor Franz Manderson said he is hoping the runners can raise $50,000 for the Cayman Heart Fund toward their goal of raising $150,000 to buy a new ambulance for the public hospital on Grand Cayman to replace one of the two backup ambulances.
Manderson is appealing to the private sector to help sponsor the challenge, which began as a civil service initiative aimed at improving the health of government employees but has now widened to include runners and walkers working in all sectors. He urged everyone to help raise funds by taking part in the 5K Challenge this April.
“It is a fantastic event for a great cause,” he said. “It encourages people to become more fit and healthy, but also will unite us around the common purpose of buying a new ambulance. One step at a time, we all make a difference.”
In its first year the 2014 race raised $12,500 for Cayman HospiceCare towards its new building, which is due to break ground this spring, and last year raised $50,000 for Special Olympics Cayman Islands, which helped fund their attendance at the Special Olympic Games in Los Angeles.
Manderson said the increased awareness and support generated by the Deputy Governor’s 5K Challenge made him confident that the run will raise $50,000 for the ambulance appeal.
“I am urging all civil servants to take part, along with members of the wider community,” he said. “More than 1,200 took part last year, but please make this challenge the most successful yet to ensure that the Cayman Heart Fund can buy the ambulance, which will be a vital resource for the Cayman Islands and could potentially benefit each of us.”
Cayman Heart Fund began fundraising for the new ambulance, which will be operated by the Health Services Authority, last summer and it is the biggest initiative ever undertaken by the local charity.
“We are delighted that the Deputy Governor’s 5K Challenge has chosen to support us this year in our bid to buy a new ambulance,” said Cayman Heart Fund Chairman David Dinner. “If we receive $50,000, it means that together with the money we’ve already raised, we will be two-thirds towards our $150,000 target. Along with one last push for the rest of the money, it would enable us to have the new ambulance in place for Christmas.”
The two existing spare ambulances, which are ageing and will soon need to be replaced, are used as back-up to the three primary care ambulances. The back-up ambulance, for which Cayman Heart Fund is raising cash, will ensure the emergency fleet has a reliable replacement option during routine maintenance, mechanical failure or in the need of a mass casualty response.
The cash raised by the Deputy Governor’s 5K Challenge is a combination of corporate sponsorship pledges and the registration fees of event participants. Three of the four gold sponsorship slots for 2016, at $5,000 each, have already been taken up by EY, Butterfield Bank and Appleby Global, which, along with an anonymous donor, were also the main sponsors of last year’s event, officials said.
There are still opportunities for silver and bronze sponsors to come on board and a prestigious new platinum sponsorship slot available this year for $15,000. That sponsor will receive maximum exposure in all advertising and promotion of the event.
The Deputy Governor’s 5K Challenge begins at 6.30am on Sunday, 17 April, at the Cayman Brac Museum, Stake Bay, and at 6.30am on Sunday, 24 April, at the Government Administration Building, Elgin Avenue, on Grand Cayman. The event, in which participants can either walk or run, is suitable for all ages and levels of fitness. Registration fees for the event are $25 for ages 14 and older and $10 for 13 and younger. The dates for registration will be announced nearer the time.
Companies interested in sponsoring the Deputy Governor’s 5K Challenge, or anyone interested in making a donation, can contact Fundraising Subcommittee Chairwoman Nancy Barnard at SupportDG5k@gov.ky
