Pupils from King Edward’s School, Birmingham will be attempting to run 4,170km, the approximate distance from the School to the North Pole, to raise money for Birmingham Children’s Hospital.
All this week pupils are dedicating their PE lessons and lunchtimes to running as many 1km laps of the School playing fields as they can in order to hit the target.
The idea of a ‘KES to North Pole’ run was thought up by a group of boys who have been visiting the hospital to learn about the role played by staff in the Paediatric Intensive Care Unit. They were so impressed by the dedication and compassion of the staff to both children and their parents that they wanted to find a way they could give something back to the hospital.
Tim Wheeler, Year 12 pupil on the fundraising group, said: “Our first few weeks at the hospital were inspirational and we gained a huge respect for the staff there.
“The doctors and nurses are so passionate about what they do and the families they care for and really want to improve patient-parent facilities. All monies raised from the run will go towards funding an emergency Parents\’ Room, which is a perfect way to contribute to hospital life and will provide an area where parents can rest or sleep whenever they come to the hospital.
“We really hope that our ‘KES to North Pole’ run will not only raise a healthy sum of money for the hospital but also awareness of this fantastic institution.”
Birmingham Children’s Hospital is one of a number of charities chosen by King Edward’s boys that the School is supporting this term, which also include St Basils, Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, and Breadline Africa.
