As I am sure many of you are already aware a group of Southend fans' will be taking part in a sponsored walk to the away fixture against Oxford.Please take time to read the following and lend your support to this very worthwhile cause.
My name is Bob Mays; I am aged 55 years, married and have been a supporter of Southend United since I was 11 years old and a season ticket holder for as many years as I can remember. I am a former serviceman and retired police officer.
Together with my friends and fellow supporters of Southend United, we have united in a commitment to organise and participate in a 100 mile walk to raise money for Help for Heroes which provides aid to the many hundreds of servicemen and women that return home with crippling injuries, some requiring a life time of care. The sacrifices our servicemen and women suffer deserve the highest levels of gratitude from all of us.
The team and I depart Roots Hall with the match ball at 8am on Wednesday 25[SUP]th[/SUP] April 2012 and walk through Essex, London and into Oxford where we will deliver the match ball to the Referee for our fixture on Saturday 28[SUP]th[/SUP] April 2012. The distance is over 100 miles and will take 3 and half days to complete.
As a result of the conflict involving our armed forces, we have suffered 404 deaths in Afghanistan of which 359 were killed as a result of hostile action. A total in excess of 1874 MOD UK servicemen, servicewomen and civilians have been wounded in action. From these 549 are classified Seriously Injured and 269 Very Seriously Injured. Over the last 3 years the number of serviceman amputees has risen to 185. As the conflict continues so the injury rate will increase.
My friends and I hope we can help to make a difference which brings me to the reason I have wrote to you personally. I have set a target of raising Five Thousand Pounds and request your support in advertising this event the poster I have attached. This event is registered with Help for Heroes and any donations can be placed through the following link: www.bmycharity.com/bobmays.
I thank you in advance for any support you are able to offer to achieve our objectives.
On the day of our departure, the Mayor of Southend is handing me the match ball and saying a few words.
Accommodation is all sorted. Oxford United and their Supporters Trust Oxvox are right behind us. Ron Martin and Geoffrey King have proved outstanding in their support.
I am collecting money at the turnstiles for the home Barnet game on the 20th April and have invited a couple of Chelsea Pensioners. I am collecting them and returning them back to Chelsea Hospital after the game. I have Army Cadets collecting the money in Help for Heroes buckets. I am trying to get some Regular soldiers to attend, this is proving difficult due to their many commitments across the world now.
If I can, then the Barnet game will be advertised as a Help for Heroes theme night, so fingers crossed. I
will seek permission anyway for our Chelsea Pensioners to walk the match ball to the referee. It's proving a time consuming challenge as most of the walkers are now walking regularly over 10 miles a day with longer ones at the weekends with the only rest days being match days.
I would love for as many Southend fans to see us off on the 25th and to be there to meet us on the 28th. I am organising some Oxford Fans to meet us too, there will be a collection there too. This event has been mentioned on the Travel Zone page of the Zone but in my opinion not ideal to attract the best publicity to get the fans talking and promoting this event to raise as much money as possible for this cause.I have therefore asked the Owners of the Zone if they would kindly "push" this to the main page of the forums and this they have agreed to.
Your support in helping this event would be much appreciated.
Kind Regards
Bob Mays
Please do all you can to support this.
My name is Bob Mays; I am aged 55 years, married and have been a supporter of Southend United since I was 11 years old and a season ticket holder for as many years as I can remember. I am a former serviceman and retired police officer.
Together with my friends and fellow supporters of Southend United, we have united in a commitment to organise and participate in a 100 mile walk to raise money for Help for Heroes which provides aid to the many hundreds of servicemen and women that return home with crippling injuries, some requiring a life time of care. The sacrifices our servicemen and women suffer deserve the highest levels of gratitude from all of us.
The team and I depart Roots Hall with the match ball at 8am on Wednesday 25[SUP]th[/SUP] April 2012 and walk through Essex, London and into Oxford where we will deliver the match ball to the Referee for our fixture on Saturday 28[SUP]th[/SUP] April 2012. The distance is over 100 miles and will take 3 and half days to complete.
As a result of the conflict involving our armed forces, we have suffered 404 deaths in Afghanistan of which 359 were killed as a result of hostile action. A total in excess of 1874 MOD UK servicemen, servicewomen and civilians have been wounded in action. From these 549 are classified Seriously Injured and 269 Very Seriously Injured. Over the last 3 years the number of serviceman amputees has risen to 185. As the conflict continues so the injury rate will increase.
My friends and I hope we can help to make a difference which brings me to the reason I have wrote to you personally. I have set a target of raising Five Thousand Pounds and request your support in advertising this event the poster I have attached. This event is registered with Help for Heroes and any donations can be placed through the following link: www.bmycharity.com/bobmays.
I thank you in advance for any support you are able to offer to achieve our objectives.
On the day of our departure, the Mayor of Southend is handing me the match ball and saying a few words.
Accommodation is all sorted. Oxford United and their Supporters Trust Oxvox are right behind us. Ron Martin and Geoffrey King have proved outstanding in their support.
I am collecting money at the turnstiles for the home Barnet game on the 20th April and have invited a couple of Chelsea Pensioners. I am collecting them and returning them back to Chelsea Hospital after the game. I have Army Cadets collecting the money in Help for Heroes buckets. I am trying to get some Regular soldiers to attend, this is proving difficult due to their many commitments across the world now.
If I can, then the Barnet game will be advertised as a Help for Heroes theme night, so fingers crossed. I
will seek permission anyway for our Chelsea Pensioners to walk the match ball to the referee. It's proving a time consuming challenge as most of the walkers are now walking regularly over 10 miles a day with longer ones at the weekends with the only rest days being match days.
I would love for as many Southend fans to see us off on the 25th and to be there to meet us on the 28th. I am organising some Oxford Fans to meet us too, there will be a collection there too. This event has been mentioned on the Travel Zone page of the Zone but in my opinion not ideal to attract the best publicity to get the fans talking and promoting this event to raise as much money as possible for this cause.I have therefore asked the Owners of the Zone if they would kindly "push" this to the main page of the forums and this they have agreed to.
Your support in helping this event would be much appreciated.
Kind Regards
Bob Mays
Please do all you can to support this.
