Six months ago, fund manager Hugo Llewelyn, aged 37 from South Kensington, had never even been in a kayak but on Tuesday 26 August 2008, he and his childhood friend Adam Huntington Whiteley will be paddling across the busiest shipping lane in the world – the English Channel - all in aid of Great Ormond Street Hospital Children’s Charity.
The daring duo are attempting to raise £75,000 for leukaemia research at Great Ormond Street Children’s Hospital, a cause very close to both of them. Adam’s father died of leukaemia two and a half years ago, and Hugo is a special trustee of Great Ormond Street Hospital Children’s Charity.
Hugo says, “I have seen at first hand the amazing job that the doctors and nurses do, backed up by the research capability that is funded principally by donors. This is clearly a worthy cause in itself, but there are also personal reasons for supporting leukaemia research at the hospital. We are therefore incredibly keen to raise as much as we possibly can and hence the rather mad-cap challenge.”
To date the pair have raised £25,000 from friends, family and corporate sponsors with significant contributions from Evander Properties, Saxton Bamfylde, Knight Frank and others. Hugo and Adam are now also looking for corporate sponsorship for their kayaks, paddles, kit, support boat and life jackets. To encourage individual donors they are also holding a party on Saturday 27 September 2008 for anyone who donates £100 or more to the cause. Fantastic auction lots include 3 places on the channel crossing support boat and a week’s holiday to Turks & Caicos.
If you would like to help Hugo and Adam to raise money for Great Ormond Street Hospital Children’s Charity please visit www.justgiving.com/k4c
