By Leicester Mercury | Posted November 05, 2012
A group of business people have raised more than £50,000 for charity by taking part in gruelling challenges.
The 2012 Grant Thornton Executive Quest saw more than a dozen senior managers take part in a variety of activities.
Chris White, chief executive of Hinckley & Rugby Building Society, and Mark Robinson, who heads Market Harborough Building Society, raised the most money after securing £6,000 in sponsorship. The pair visited all six building society headquarters in Leicestershire in a day using unusual transport, including a milk float, horse-drawn carriage, tandem bicycle and a steam-powered car. Mr White said: "To win the award for raising the most money was a great surprise and we must thank all our sponsors for their generosity."
Dominic Shellard, vice-chancellor of De Montfort University, was judged to have come up with the most imaginative challenge.
On Wednesday, he plans to lead more than 5,000 people in a dance outside the university, setting a world record.
All participants were thanked for their exploits at a ceremony at Athena, in Rutland Street, Leicester, on Thursday.
The other executives whose achievements were applauded were: Richard Everard, of Everards Brewery, Enderby, who cycled 190 miles beside the River Lot in France; Dennis Kent, from DRK Innovative Management, Sileby, who did aerobatics in a light aircraft; and David Newman, archdeacon of Loughborough, who memorised the gospel of St Mark and recited it in five churches within 48 hours.
Other participants included Leicester Mercury editor Richard Bettsworth and publisher David Simms, who trained with Leicester Tigers and Leicester City respectively; Mark Dunkley, of Harvey Ingram Shakespeares, in Leicester, who is to walk from the Northampton Saints rugby club ground to Leicester Tigers' Welford Road stadium; and Trevor Shaw, of Grant Thornton, who walked the 100-mile Leicestershire Round footpath in four days.
Chris Frostwick, a partner at Grant Thornton, in Leicester, said: "Our congratulations to all those who took on challenges this year."
The money raised will go to LOROS hospice and prostate cancer charity Prostaid.
In total, the executive quest has raised more than £210,000 for the two charities since the challenge was established in 2010.
Guest speaker at the awards night was Leicester Tigers rugby player Matt Cornwell.
Alex Gamble, corporate fundraiser at LOROS, said: "Everyone who took on a challenge has stepped outside of their comfort zones and their efforts mean so much to LOROS and its patients."
