Snowdon challenger scoops national fundraising award

5/26/2011 5:40 AM EST

Press release

For immediate release: Thursday 26 May 2011
Press contact: Marilena Patuto, 020 7749 3720  

Snowdon challenger scoops national fundraising award

A man who climbed Mount Snowdon every week for a whole year to raise money for Breast Cancer Campaign has scooped the charity’s ‘Employee Fundraiser of the Year’ award.

Andrew Craig, Branch Manager at Travis Perkins Caernarfon, was awarded the coveted prize after judges wanted to recognise his gruelling efforts climbing the mountain 52 times last year, raising more than £15,000 for the charity.

Andrew took on the weekly trek, named the Snowdon Challenge, come rain or shine, and encouraged friends, family, work colleagues and local groups and clubs to accompany him on some of the climbs.

The challenge was the idea of Andrew’s wife Lynne, who was offering thoughts on how he could raise money for the charity. Andrew’s motivation came from personal experience of breast cancer, his wife having lost her best friend to the disease and having another friend who was diagnosed.

Andrew decided to raise money for Breast Cancer Campaign, a charity which funds research into the disease, after his employers named it Charity of the Year in 2010 and committed to supporting the cause. Since then, employees at Travis Perkins stores nationwide have been fundraising for the charity and helping to raise awareness of breast cancer research.

Andrew said: “I feel so proud to have been named ‘Employee Fundraiser of the Year’. I owe thanks to my family, friends and work colleagues who supported me along the way, and many of who came on the trip with me. The challenge was a tough one, but at the same time a great adventure and the money raised made it worthwhile. One of the most rewarding moments was when I led a group of ladies up the mountain in September, one of who had recovered from breast cancer. It was a reminder of what I was achieving and the reason why it was important for me to keep me going.”

Pamela Goldberg, Breast Cancer Campaign’s Chief Executive said: “Congratulations to Andrew for winning this prestigious award for his outstanding fundraising. It is thanks to the continued support and commitment from people such as Andrew that we are able to fund innovative world-class research to help us improve the lives of breast cancer patients and beat the disease.”

Andrew was presented with the award at Breast Cancer Campaign’s awards ceremony on Thursday 19 May 2011 at the House of Lords.

If you want to be in the running for next year’s award, then contact the charity to find out how you can help beat breast cancer. Visit www.breastcancercampaign.org, call 020 7749 4114 or email  

ENDS

Photo: Andrew Craig and wife Lynne with award.

Notes to editors
• Breast Cancer Campaign aims to beat breast cancer by funding innovative world-class research to understand how breast cancer develops, leading to improved diagnosis, treatment, prevention and cure.
• Currently it supports 97 research projects, worth over £16.7 million, in 31 centres of excellence across the UK and Ireland
• Breast cancer is the most common cancer in the UK and accounts for nearly one in three of all cancers in women
• In the UK, nearly 48,000 new cases of breast cancer are diagnosed each year – that’s 125 a day
• Visit www.breastcancercampaign.org
• Read Chief Executive Pamela Goldberg’s blog http://pamelagoldbergblog.blogspot.com/