Rotarians Run Marathon for Charity

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Rotarian Alistair Watler and Immediate Past President Derek Haines, both from Rotary Club of Grand Cayman are in training for the the Cayman Islands Marathon and raising funds for the Rotary Scholarship programme and Meals on Wheels/Youth Rugby, respectively

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On Sunday, December 6th, two dedicated members of the Rotary Club of Grand Cayman will put on their running shoes and complete the full Cayman Islands Marathon to raise much needed funds for local charities.

Always a philanthropist at heart, Immediate Past President (IPP) Derek Haines has been honing his long distance running skills over the past several months, completing over 1500 miles thus far this year, with the goal to raise money for both Meals on Wheels and the Youth Rugby Club.

Twenty five years ago, Mr. Haines completed the London marathon with an impressive time of 2.59 hours and then repeated the feat in his home town of Leicester. His most recent performance is 3.53 hours in the Robin Hood marathon (Nottingham) in 2005; a race that he ran with his daughter Lizzy in her first marathon race. Those interested in pledging Rotary's senior participant could also make a guess on Mr. Haines finishing time, with the first prize being 6 bottles of Veuve Cliquot and 250 rugby club dollars.

IPP Derek comments, "Now I am in my 60s I realise how important it is to stay fit. Running is a great way to do this and keep the weight down. It gives me the opportunity to think problems through without cell phone distractions etc. Running a marathon generally gets people's attention and I find that most are willing to pledge a few dollars for a worthy cause if one is daft enough to run one. Even though the years are taking their toll on my finishing time I am confident of finishing on my own feet and not in the back of an ambulance."

Rotarian Alistair Walters has also hit the pavement with his marathon training and will be raising funds for future scholarship recipients. Although Rotarian Alistair has not tackled a full marathon before, he has run in a number of half marathons and triathlon events. He is hoping to complete the marathon in a time under 4 hours and is looking forward to the challenge.

"We understand the importance of higher education and have created the Rotary Club of Grand Cayman Scholarship Fund, which is intended to benefit Caymanian students who require financial assistance to continue with their education after High School", comments Rotarian Alistair.

Rotary's Director of Fundraising, Mr. John Felder, sums up that "this dedication is the spirit of what Rotary stands for; raising money for community-based initiatives in a creative and fun atmosphere, that also highlights the charities that will benefit from the funds raised".

Support Meals on Wheels and Youth Rugby, by pledging Immediate Past President Derek Haines. Call 323 0803 or email derek.haines@drcl.ky

Support the Rotary Club of Grand Cayman Scholarship Fund by pledging at http://www.active.com/donate/RotaryEducationFund