A GROUP of determined Wee County residents are taking up a major boxing challenge in aid of Cancer Research UK.
The Ultra White Collar Boxing (UWCB) event will take place at Alloa Town Hall next month, and around 20 local upstarts are currently in the middle of an eight-week training regime.
Many had no previous experience with the sport, but agreed to step inside the ring in front of hundreds of people to help beat cancer.
Participants receive eight weeks of completely free training with professional coaches, who provide fitness advice and teach the participants basic boxing techniques. They are asked to raise a minimum of £50 for Cancer Research UK through online fundraising.
Then, at the end of the training, they put their skills to the test and take part in a glamorous black tie boxing event, with bouts contested over three rounds of two minutes, with one-minute intervals.
Kenny Paterson, one of the brave souls taking part, told the Advertiser he was keen to get involved in memory of a family member he lost to cancer.
He said: "I moved to Sauchie from Plymouth around 10 years ago now; I've never taken part in any combat sports before so this will be my first time getting in a ring.
"I'm quietly confident that I will perform well in the fight and can't wait for the night to hurry up and get here. The remaining seven weeks are going to drag."
He added: "My wife lost her father to cancer and that's the main reason for my taking part and raising money for cancer research UK and I'd like to thank everyone who has sponsored me or bought a raffle ticket, especially Manson & Sons garage in Kennet and Duncan Adams haulage in Grangemouth.
"My teammates at Hillfoots RFC have dug deep as well and helped out a lot.
"Hopefully, it will be a packed Alloa Town Hall on the night and the competitors and the crowd will have a night to remember."
What started out as a local fundraiser in Derby in 2009 has now grown to events at 90 different locations across the country.
To date thousands of boxers have taken part and have helped to surpass an incredible £4.5million raised for the charity.
By the end of 2016, Ultra White Collar Boxing has ambitious targets to run 350 events and raise £6million, increasing to £10million by the end of 2017.
Robyn Johnson, marketing manager at Ultra White Collar Boxing, said: “UWCB is a unique opportunity for people with no boxing background to experience the wonderful world of boxing, in a safe and enjoyable environment. Participants get involved for the same reasons; to get fit, learn a new sport, gain a real sense of achievement and to reach their own personal goals.”
As well as having raised money to help beat cancer, following the training participants have achieved an extremely high level of physical fitness and learnt the techniques for their boxing match. Most people leave feeling great and in the fittest condition of their life.
She added: “Cancer is something that affects us all so working with Cancer Research UK has been a great opportunity. We want to raise as much money as we can for this great cause.”
Emma Hallas, senior account executive for Cancer Research UK, said: “Everyone at Cancer Research UK appreciates the amazing support the UWCB team provide us. Every person that has taken part and raised money for us has made a huge difference. Reaching £4.5million is a fantastic achievement and one that will help save lives, and beat cancer sooner. UWCB are an incredibly valued supporter of the charity and we are extremely grateful to the team and all the boxers involved”.
Cancer Research UK is the world’s leading cancer charity dedicated to saving lives through research. It receives no government funding and every step it makes towards beating cancer relies on every pound donated by members of the public.
Through the work of over 4000 scientists, doctors and nurses, today two in four people survive cancer. Cancer Research UK’s ambition is to accelerate progress so that three in four people will survive cancer within the next 20 years.
The Alloa UWCB event takes place at the Town Hall on August 20.
For ticket information, and to find out more about the campaign, visit www.ultrawhitecollarboxing.co.uk/alloa
To view Kenny's Just Giving page, head over to www.justgiving.com/fundraising/K-Paterson
Additional fundraisers can be found on the following sites:
www.justgiving.com/fundraising/Lauren-Arthur1
www.justgiving.com/fundraising/Garry-Rendall1
www.justgiving.com/fundraising/jason-rendall
www.justgiving.com/fundraising/Lisa-MacMurdie
www.justgiving.com/fundraising/Chelsea-Murphy2
www.justgiving.com/fundraising/Scott-Harris6
www.justgiving.com/fundraising/Colin-Mitchell8
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