A marvellous night for a MoonWalk...

8:00am Thursday 15th May 2008

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A GEOGRAPHY teacher at a city school is aiming to put breast cancer awareness on the map this weekend.

Sarah Smith, who teaches at Aylestone High School in Tupsley, will join around 15,000 walkers in London’s Hyde Park on Saturday, to walk the 26.2 miles as part of this year’s Playtex MoonWalk.

Each fundraiser will be dressed in decorative bras as they hit the streets of the capital.

Sarah, a 56-year-old grandmother from Little Dewchurch, is taking part in the night-time walk with close friend Sharon Richardson, from Newcastle-upon-Tyne, who was diagnosed with breast cancer last year at the age of just 28.

“The training has been going well,” said Sarah, who moved to the county from Essex almost two years ago.

“I did an 18-mile walk through the Herefordshire countryside the other day which was lovely and made the training all the more easier.” The MoonWalk, which begins at midnight, takes fundraisers over Tower Bridge, through Battersea and Knightsbridge before returning to Hyde Park. Sarah said she hoped to raise around £500.

Meanwhile, Margaret Gardiner is no stranger to the MoonWalk, having already completed it three times.

She has covered a total of 78.6 miles and, with five companions, has raised £10,289.

Margaret, who works in accounts at Sun Valley, had planned to retire but when she discovered that her best friend of 20 years, Sally Drummond, had been diagnosed with the disease she had no hesitation in taking part again this weekend.

Sally, who works at Hereford police station, has been under treatment since last August and hopes to return to work in the next few months.

She has had to take a back seat but has been encouraging Margaret who has been going through 12 weeks of intense training.

With Margaret this year will be Sam Hales, Liz Connors, Liz Jellie, Gail Colley, Anne Walker and Marie Hall who will walk, with a flamingo theme, in black leggings and decorated bras with feathers in their hair.

Margaret and Sally would like to thank all their workmates, friends, neighbours and family for giving their support for such a worthy cause.

Anyone who would like to make a contribution can call 01432 273864.