Sainsbury’s CEO Justin King begins a 32 mile run across the UK this week to help raise money towards the £3 million which Sainsbury’s has pledged to raise for Sport Relief, http://www.sainsburys.co.uk/sportrelief. This is the retailer’s most ambitious fund raising target to date for Sport Relief.
Over the next four days Justin King will run 32 miles in total – one mile in 32 different locations across the UK. Justin began his first mile in Holywood, in Belfast on Tuesday 16th March and completes his final run on Saturday 20th March in Barnet.
He is joined on each leg of the run by colleagues from stores across the country, with the aim of inspiring people across the UK to enter the Sainsbury’s Sport Relief Mile on Sunday 21st March.
CEO Justin King said: “I am always amazed and humbled by the fantastic work that Sport Relief does. I have been privileged to see firsthand the positive effect money can have in transforming lives both in the UK and in the world’s poorest countries.
“I set myself a personal challenge to run a mile in each of Sainsbury’s 32 store regions over four days and I am looking forward to meeting many fund raisers along the way.
“Sainsbury’s customers and colleagues raised an incredible £2.3million for Sport Relief in 2008 and we are going to smash that figure this year.
“Like my colleagues who are running for Sport Relief, I will be wearing my Fairtrade Sport Relief T-shirt and Socks with pride!”
The retailer has been a principle supporter of Sport Relief since 2006 and when the company hits its £3million target for this year’s campaign, it will bring the total that Sainsbury’s has donated to Sport Relief to over £7 million.
This year’s Sport Relief theme is ‘Rise to the Challenge’, and 150,000 Sainsbury’s colleagues throughout the country will join Justin in Sport Relief fund raising.
In addition to its fundraising efforts, Sainsbury’s has also made it easier than ever for customers to donate to Sport Relief.  Through Sainsbury’s new ‘round-up’ system customers can give the charity the change from their Sainsbury’s shopping bill, rounding up to the nearest pound.
Kevin Cahill, Comic Relief CEO, said: “We’ve always been immensely impressed with how Sainsbury’s colleagues embrace our fundraising campaigns. Justin’s 32 miles around the UK is another great example of how to lead from the front, and bring people together to get active, raise cash and change lives. If I didn’t know him better, I’d think he’s just showing off suffering and raising all that money! He’s a star.”The Sport Relief Weekend is taking place from Friday 19th March to Sunday 21st March.Notes to editors:
About Sainsbury’s
Sainsbury’s has supported Comic Relief since 1999 and has raised over £43 million for the charity to date. In 2009, Sainsbury’s handed over £11 million on Red Nose Day, the largest cheque ever received in Comic Relief’s history.
Sainsbury’s is also the headline sponsor of the Sainsbury’s Sport Relief Mile, taking place at over 300 locations around the UK on Sunday 21st March 2010. For more information see www.sainsburys.co.uk/sportrelief.
In addition to its fundraising efforts, Sainsbury’s has made it easier than ever for customers to donate to Sport Relief. Through Sainsbury’s new ‘round-up’ system, customers can give to the charity the change from their Sainsbury’s shopping bill, rounding up to the nearest pound.
Sainsbury’s sells the official range of Sport Relief merchandise including socks, water bottles, phone socks and bouncy balls.
About Sport Relief
As one of the UK’s biggest fundraising events, Sport Relief brings the entire nation together to get active, raise cash and change lives. The Sport Relief Weekend takes place from Friday 19th March to Sunday 21st March 2010 including a night of Sport Relief telly on BBC One and the Sainsbury’s Sport Relief Mile events across the UK on Sunday 21st March. All the cash raised by the public will help transform the lives of those living tough lives across the UK and the world’s poorest countries.
Since its launch in 2002, millions of people have taken part in Sport Relief, helping to raise over £80 million. Sport Relief has a unique history of dedicated people doing extraordinary things to rise to the challenge, from David Walliams’ astonishing swim across the English Channel to Eddie Izzard’s truly amazing marathon a day around the UK. Further information is available on http://www.sportrelief.com/
Sport Relief is an initiative of Comic Relief, registered charity 326568 (England/Wales); SC039730 (Scotland).
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