On Saturday 23 June, six year old Joel Saunders took on the challenge to run two miles to raise money for Tearfund.
We heard from Joel’s dad about why helping good causes is important to his son at such a young age:
“Having discovered some of the injustice in the world – particularly that experienced by children just like him – Joel decided that he couldn’t just stand by and let bad things happen. He devised his own sponsored challenge and asked me to set up a web page for it, and then watched wide-eyed as people all over the world caught hold of his vision. When he came to do his two mile run on Saturday, he was a whisker away from having raised £6,000!”
Joel’s parents suggested he ran one mile, but Joel insisted he would run two, saying ‘that sounds hard, and it should be hard.’ Wearing his Tearfund t-shirt and accompanied by his mum, Joel gave a fantastic performance on the day:
“His mum and I thought it might be a little too much for him. We needn’t have worried – not only did he run two miles without stopping, at times he was sprinting his way across the ground. He was excited by the opportunity to do something fun but he was also determined to keep up his side of the bargain. Joel has been massively encouraged, and I think envisioned, by the amazing messages of support left for him on the fundraising page and blog. So he really went for it – and I wish we’d timed the run, because it was fast!”
Joel’s parents are proud of his sporting achievement, but also that he’s helped raise awareness of Tearfund and spread the word:
“We’re humbled to think of the amazing difference that will be made to the lives of children living in poverty, through the work of Tearfund. And perhaps most surprisingly of all, we’ve seen so many people – old and young – catching hold of Joel’s words and seeing this vital subject through new eyes. We’re incredibly proud of him, not only because he raised lots of money, but because he cared enough to try.”
You can find out more and sponsor Joel by visiting his fundraising page.
