Wagada’s race day round-up
Cheryl Luzet - 12 June 2019
A very Wagada warm-up
At Wagada, we are always thinking of new ways to inspire each other and work towards becoming better as a team, always looking to test ourselves and succeed at new challenges.
In December 2018, after a post-work game of squash, it was discussed that Wagada would take on the St Albans Half Marathon and 5K Run. In January 2019, nine of us signed up, and after significant personal commitment and intense training programs, five months later we can safely say that we live to tell the tale.
We chose to run on behalf of a charity, and soon settled on Abbeyfield Elderly Care, an organisation close to our hearts. A St Albans based charity, Abbeyfield provide sheltered housing and care homes for elderly people and their story touched us all.
Fundraising with a difference
To collect and keep track of our donations, we set up a JustGiving page and aimed for a target of £1,000. After an article was posted about Wagada in the Herts Ad, we got creative and came up with a variety of different ideas on how to raise money.
First off, we donned our aprons and chef’s hats and held a charity bake sale at STANTA as well as at offices around Sopwell. Following on from this, we turned the oven up a couple of notches and hosted a charity lunch where everyone in the office contributed. We invited members of the business community to Wagada Towers, where they enjoyed a variety of sweet and savoury food for a small donation. There were plenty of empty plates by the end of what was a fantastic lunch.
Our social media activity for the weeks leading up to the race certainly captured the imagination of our followers across Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn, and this earned us a few more donations in the lead up to the run, which were welcomed with open arms.
Race day
We approached running day feeling a little nervous, with butterflies in our stomachs, however we all arrived on our marks, got set, and were ready to go!
We were lucky enough to spend some time before and after the race in the VIP tent, sponsored by SA Law. We were well looked after with great food and hot drink, and even a pint of local beer which we saved for after crossing the finish line.
It was great to be able to don our running shoes as a group, and our team spirit was at the heart of it all. Everyone did a great job and pushed themselves in both the Half Marathon and the 5K Run. As a reward to ourselves, we celebrated with a delicious Sunday lunch at Ye Olde Fighting Cocks and there were a few tired eyes around the dinner table by 5 o’clock.
Total donations raised currently stand at: £1,405.56, but with our JustGiving page remaining open until the end of the month, we are confident of raising even more money for this important cause.
Even though our legs are aching, our feet are sore, and we feel battered and bruised, we are all very proud of ourselves and can’t wait to take on our next challenge.
Get involved
If you think that you can tackle the St Albans Half Marathon, give it a try! Registration for the 2020 Half Marathon will be open soon; in the meantime, you can visit https://www.stalbanshalfmarathon.com/ to find out more.
