A MUM and son from Basingstoke will be running 5k this May to help raise money for a cancer charity.
Megan Cook and her son Vinnie, eight, on Sunday, May 26, will be taking part in the Race for Life 5k at War Memorial Park, intending to raise funds for Cancer Research UK.
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The fundraiser came about as Megan and Vinnie shop every Saturday at Tesco's in Chineham, with Vinnie eager to regularly donate to the different charities which fundraise at the supermarket on the weekends.
One Saturday at the supermarket, a charity was fundraising for an animal cancer charity, which gave Vinnie, a pupil at Four Lanes Junior School in Chineham, an incentive to try and do something to help others out, and raise money for a good cause.
Megan and Vinnie discussed the options and charities they could look to help, before deciding to start a potential fundraising campaign with a 5k run for Cancer Research UK.
Megan said that Vinnie has decided to raise money for Cancer Research UK as their next-door neighbour's nephew and mum are both suffering from the illness currently, and Vinnie just 'wants to be able to help as many people as possible'.
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The fundraiser was set at the beginning of January and has so far smashed Vinnie and Megan's initial target of £50 each, with more than £400 raised already including gift aid on the duo's JustGiving Page.
Vinnie said: "I'm looking forward to doing the run and raising money for a good cause which will help people. I just want to help people get better."
Megan added: "I'm so proud of Vinnie and his eagerness to help others, and to raise awareness of such a prevalent thing which affects so many people in the UK and across the world. Even if everyone could just donate a pound, it would make such a difference, and Vinnie would be over the moon to raise as much as he possibly can.
"I hope Vinnie receives a good amount of support as then hopefully it will give him the motivation and momentum to carry on raising money for great causes."
More information, including how to support Vinnie and Megan can be found at fundraise.cancerresearchuk.org/team/vinnie-and-mummy.
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