Climb of Life 2017 walkers group photo, holding a cheque for the ICR for £103,280.
The 30th Climb of Life annual fundraiser has celebrated a landmark year – with an amazing total of over £900,000 raised for the ICR over the lifetime of the event.
This year’s event was the fourth in a row to raise over £100,000, hitting an outstanding £103,280.
On 3 November, around 120 employees from the UK and US stationery industry took on the challenge. Keen walkers from the Institute of Cancer Research, London, including Chief Executive Professor Paul Workman and his wife Liz, Dr Irene Chong and her team, Dr Inger Brandsma, Hanna Bryant and Marta Llorca, also took part.
The walking event offered routes of different levels of challenge, organised and led by expert group leaders and all beginning from base in Grasmere, Cumbria. Some groups headed off up Scafell Pike and scaled up the seven peaks, while others carried out more gentle walks along locations such as Helm Crag and Gibson Knott.
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Making the difference to defeat cancer
For the first time in a few years, the weather stayed dry. Once everyone had returned safely, all enjoyed the evening celebrations at the event’s partner hotel of 25 years, The Swan Hotel, Grasmere.
Chief Executive Professor Paul Workman said:
“On behalf of ICR, I would like to thank all the Climb of Lifers for your wonderful support and for raising a record amount this year. I really enjoyed doing the hike again with my wife Liz and especially the evening celebrations. What a great group!
“The funding generated by the Climb of Life really makes a big difference to our mission to make the discoveries that defeat cancer. And especially to meet our big challenge which is to overcome the ability of cancers to adapt, evolve and become resistant to treatment. Thanks again to everyone involved. You are inspiring.”
Aiming for the £1m mark
The Climb of Life would not be possible each year without the dedication and motivation of the event’s leader and dedicated ICR fundraiser Graeme Chapman, MBE, who once again organised the event this year.
Graeme said: “We had one of our finest, driest days in 30 years for our 128 trekkers, 42 of whom were first time attendees to the Climb of Life. All of us were especially delighted that for our 11th year of fundraising for the ICR we beat our previous total to reach £103,280!”
Next year’s event is already in its planning stages, with the date of Friday 2 November 2018 secured. If the success of raising over £100K annually continues, the Climb of Life 2018 could hit the £1m mark raised for the ICR. “Is the one million figure now in sight?” asks Graeme. We hope so!
Sporting challenges
Find more about taking part in a sporting challenge for the ICR.
You can also contact Heather Lacey, Supporter Events Manager, by email [email protected] or call 020 7153 5375 for more information.