“I know she will be there in spirit, walking by my side and cheering me on”, says woman who has entered this year’s LOROS Twilight Walk in memory of her mother.
Mother-of-three Leah Brown, 26, of Thurnby Lodge, is taking part in the Hospice’s annual 10km women-only walk next month, after her 51-year-old mother, Debra Clarke, died at LOROS following her battle with cancer.
In keeping with this year’s myths and magic theme, Leah will be taking to the streets of Leicester dressed as a dark fairy along with more than 1,600 women already signed up.
“I’d been waiting for the event sign up to open and I put my name down straight away,” said Leah, who received the ‘number one’ race number in her fundraising pack.
“This will be my fourth year taking part in the Twilight Walk; I love the event, it’s such a brilliant thing to be part of and the atmosphere is always amazing.
“It’s great to see so many women coming together to take part.
“Of course, it’s not just the women, it’s the men who marshal the route too, cheering us all on along the way.”
Leah said that she and her mum used to fundraise in charity runs and walks together, before she died in 2013.
“I know mum would’ve loved doing the Twilight Walk with me and I know how proud she would’ve been of me for raising money for LOROS,” added Leah, who is aiming to raise £1,000 for the Hospice this year.
“One of the highlights of the event for me is the balloon release. Although it’s emotional, it’s a fantastic chance for me to remember mum by writing a special message on the tag attached.”
As a new addition to this year’s balloon release, the tags will include details about LOROS, so people who find them when they land will be able to get in touch to tell the Hospice how far they went.
“It’s the little things that LOROS does that make all the difference,” said Leah.
“I try and support the Hospice whenever I can; it’s such a fantastic cause. They will always be extremely close to my heart.”
In addition to walking the Twilight Walk, Leah will also be shaving her hair off later this year, to raise money for the Hospice.
This year’s Twilight Walk will be taking place on Saturday 8th April, kicking off at 7pm from Leicester City’s King Power Stadium.
For more information on how you can sign up for the Twilight Walk, visit loros.co.uk/twilightwalk
If you would like to volunteer at this year’s event, please email EventVolunteers@loros.co.uk
