Race tribute to Hayley (From Basingstoke Gazette)

Race tribute to Hayley

1:10pm Saturday 31st July 2010 in

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A TEAM of wheelbarrow racers took part in an Overton event in memory of their friend who recently died.

The group of 12, aged between 18 and 34, participated in a competition racing around the Overton pubs in a wheelbarrow to raise money for Overton Football Club (OFC).

Their friend, Hayley Crook, was found dead at her home in Lynch Hill Park, Whitchurch on June 17.

Although police said there were no suspicious circumstances, it is still not known what caused the 23-year-old’s death.

The team wore T-shirts bearing the name of their friend. Lauren Gibbons, from Overton, said: “It was her initial idea to go as a team of footballers but she passed away before the race. It was great fun and everyone in the team was her friend.”

Erin Graham, who also took part, said: “We raced in honour of her.”

Hayley, a former Testbourne Community School pupil, was a dance student at Queen Mary’s College before she began her career as an actress and model.

An ambulance crew was called to her family home at around 8.30am on June 17 but she was already dead when the paramedics arrived.

About 50 other people took part in the wheelbarrow race, which raised more than £700 for the club.

Colin Phillimore, secretary of OFC, said: “It’s a traditional thing that goes back nearly 50 years in Overton. It used to be done as part of the carnival but we restored it last year.”

The race started in Pound Road and teams visited six pubs along the route, downing half a pint before moving on to finish at the Overton Recreation Centre.

The winning team dressed up as Teletubbies.