A team of RAF personnel raised more than £1,500 for the RAF Benevolent Fund by running a kilometre around every one of the 92 stadia in the Football League.
Corporal Sam Davin, who is based at RAF Brize Norton, was joined by RAF colleagues he met while based overseas in Cyprus.
The rest of the group, who met through their shared passion for football, consists of: Sgt Carl Evans and Cpl Aaron Lewis, who are both based at Brize Norton and Cpl Shaun Brian, who is based at RAF Odiham, in Hampshire.
The fundraiser took place earlier this year and involved the team travelling 3,000 miles around England and Wales and running around 10km a day for eight days.
Sam, 35, who has been serving in the RAF for 12 years so far, was helped by the RAF Benevolent Fund which covered costs for relocating his family to Brize Norton after Sam’s youngest son was diagnosed with autism.
Speaking about the fundraiser, he said:
“It was a great success. We contacted all the clubs beforehand and asked for access for our 1km run around the pitch and some memorabilia to auction off. Plenty kindly accepted.
“We got inside over 50 stadia and were able to run around the pitch. Others we just ran around the outside of the ground. We got full stadium tours of Old Trafford. St James’s Park. Hillsborough, Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and many more. People were brilliant and made us feel welcome. We also had support from local RAF units. Waddington, Honington and Leeming all allowed us access for showers and a bed for the nights when we were close by.”
In total the team raised £3,064,76, which was shared between the RAF Benevolent Fund and the National Autistic Society. The RAF Benevolent Fund is the RAF’s leading welfare charity, providing practical, financial, and emotional support to RAF personnel, veterans, and their partners and dependants. If you know a member of the RAF Family in need, please go to rafbf.org to find out how the Fund could help.