Buy a Mile for the Ellen MacArthur Cancer Trust!

By Nicky Moore on 20 Jun 201125 June 2011

In less than one week’s time, the Ellen MacArthur Cancer Trust will take six yachts and 30 young people round the Island as the official charity of this year’s J.P. Morgan Asset Management Round the Island Race. The Ellen MacArthur Cancer Trust aims to inspire young people’s cancer recovery through sailing and you can help them to raise £31,500 in their race around the Island through their new ‘Buy a Mile’ fundraising initiative.

How does it work? Each of the 30 young people racing on the six competing Ellen MacArthur Cancer Trust yachts in this year’s Round the Island Race will be looking to sell 50 virtual race miles, before they cross the finishing line the 25th June. Every mile purchased will move the chosen virtual yacht forward one mile, and you can track each boats progress online. Miles can be purchased at different values from £10 - £50.

To donate go to buyamile.ellenmacarthurtrust.org and select a boat and crewmember you would like to support and buy a virtual mile of the Race. You can also chose to get Trust Patron Dame Ellen MacArthur virtually round the Island, as she will also be joining the young people on the water again this year.

Dame Ellen commented “It's fantastic to be able to offer 30 young people in recovery from cancer the inspirational experience of competing over 18,000 other sailors in Britain’s biggest one day sailing event. I hope through the ‘Buy a Mile’ fundraising we can help many more young people in their recovery from the illness in the future”.

If all the miles are bought, it will enable the Trust to take another 63 young people sailing in 2012, helping them to regain their confidence on their way to recovery from cancer and leukaemia. Since J.P. Morgan Asset Management became title sponsor of the Round the Island Race £350,000 has been raised for good causes. With the Island Sailing Club and the other race partners involvement the plan is to increase this to figure to £500k by the end of 2011.

You can also come and support the Trust in the race village over the race weekend (24-25 June). Try out our interactive sailing simulator, where you can try to beat the times set by sailing legends Ellen MacArthur, Shirley Robertson and Ben Ainslie! You can also test your skills and take the Segway Challenge, or see if you can make it to the top of our climbing wall.

For more information on the Ellen MacArthur Cancer Trust please visit www.ellenmacarthurcancertrust.org. The donation process is quick and secure. Alternatively you can phone the Trust and donate directly on 01983 297750 or visit buyamile.ellenmacarthurtrust.org