Mother of 2 Sarah Wilkinson, who lost her husband and the father of her children when he was accidentally killed by machine gun fire in 2011, is to take part in the Month of May Marathon initiative in his honour and to raise much needed funds for Scotty’s Little Soldiers – the charity which has kept her children smiling over the last 6 years.
Fusilier James Wilkinson from Bury, Greater Manchester died after being accidentally shot in Kenya in 2011, leaving behind unborn daughter Annabelle, now aged 5 and Connor, now aged 8.
Both children became part of Scotty’s Little Soldiers in 2015 and will be joining their mum in her Marathon effort, over the next few weeks, by helping her complete several walks every weekend, all in honour of their dad.
The Month of May marathon is a fundraising campaign driven by Scotty’s Little Soldiers, where fundraisers are encouraged to run or walk 26.2 miles throughout the month of May and raise vital funds for the charity so that it can continue to offer a high level of support to bereaved military children across the country.
Founded by war widow Nikki Scott in 2010, Scotty’s supports children across the UK who have lost a parent while serving in the British Armed Forces. The charity was set up in memory of Nikki’s husband and father to her 2 children, Corporal Lee Scott after he was killed in Afghanistan in 2009.
27-year-old, Sarah has witnessed first-hand the impact losing a parent and loved one has on the children and feels very passionately about Scotty’s. After her husband’s death, Sarah explained that Scotty’s Little Soldiers made things ‘that little bit simpler’. After being overwhelmed by the number of different military approaches, she now has Scotty’s which she can count on for guidance and support.
She said:
“The children really enjoy getting involved in raising money for Scotty’s in any way that they can. To them, Scotty’s reminds them of their dad and whenever they see a letter or a parcel with the Scotty’s logo on their eyes light up. The charity has been good to us and we’d love to give back, to help support other families going through the same thing.
Article continues below this advertisement “It’s the kids who are pushing me to do the walks each weekend so they’re very keen, they keep asking when the next walk is so they’re taking this very seriously. We hope to raise £500 and it’s good to do the exercise, it’s also extra special as they’re doing it in honour of their dad and other heroes just like him.”
Charity founder Nikki added:
“We’re so proud of Sarah, Connor and Annabelle and very grateful that they’re fundraising for us. The Month of May Marathon should help us raise the funds we need to continue to support families all year round. Sarah and the kids are part of our big Scotty’s family and we help each other. It’s families like them that make us proud of what we do.”
The method in which a fundraiser completes their exercise in the Month of May Marathon is completely down to them and can vary from a short walk each day to a long weekend run. Any age, size or fitness level can take part and it is free to sign up to. After creating a fundraising page on MayMarathon.com, each time a fundraiser runs, walks or jogs they can update the distance on their profile – if a fundraiser uses a running app this can be done automatically from their smart phone.
In true Scotty’s style, there will be fundraising memorabilia as a reward for those who take part and raise money. This includes a free Scotty’s fundraising headband when you raise £50 or more, a Month of May Marathon medal when you raise over £100 and a free fundraising running vest for those who raise £150. Everyone who reaches their goal of 26.2 miles will also receive a thank you certificate.
Once signed up, fundraisers can update friends by posting their progress online, encouraging them to support through sponsorship.
To sponsor Sarah visit https://monthofmaymarathon.everydayhero.com/uk/connor-annabelles-may-marathon-2.
