The five friends conquered the muddy Wolf Run challenge together on 8 September and have raised over £500 to support the Birmingham-based hospice.
The Wolf Run is a 10k off-road course that challenges runners to make their way across open ground and through woodland. There are a series of physical challenges and demanding obstacles to test the pack along the way – including lake swims, mud pits, fallen trees, boggy ground, ditches, hills and dense foliage.
The adventurous team, who named themselves The Woodman Wolves, comprised of Will, Jamie and Bekah from the Woodman Pub in Birmingham city centre, former team member Dave and Jamie’s brother Gareth.
Bekah Laver, 20, said: “When I told my family and uni friends I was doing the Wolf Run they thought I was mad! I was so proud of myself when I managed to go through a tunnel despite my fear of confined spaces. The rest of the team were at the end of the obstacle cheering me on – it was brilliant.”
Jamie Hawkswood, 42, who is the Woodman’s chef said: “We had supporters at the event including my wife Gemma, Gareth’s wife Jo and, our head cheerleader, Gareth’s daughter Emily. Emily made us signs, kept an eye out for us on the course and was always there for a high five.”
This isn’t the first time that staff from the Eastside Park-based pub have shown their support for John Taylor Hospice. Throughout the last year, the thoughtful team have been busy hosting quizzes and raffles to raise money for people in their city who are living with a terminal illness. Chef Jamie also went the extra mile with his fundraising efforts – well, 26.2 miles to be precise – when he completed the Marathon de Paris in April!
Woodman manager, Will Young, 29, said: “As a business, we had supported Jamie to raise funds when he ran the Paris Marathon earlier in the year, so when he came up with the idea of fundraising for John Taylor Hospice by entering a team into the Wolf Run we jumped at the idea.
“As the run got closer, the buzz around the Woodman increased. Staff and customers were excited to hear how the runners were feeling and how well we were doing in our fundraising. As a business owner it’s great to be able to help such a worthy charity and at the same time as increase staff bonding and morale.”
Hospice Corporate Fundraising Manager Eloise Davidson said: “This is such a fantastic team effort and we are very proud of the Woodman Wolves! It’s great to hear how much they enjoyed their fundraising challenge and we are incredibly lucky to have their support.
“We would like to say a big thank you to the team and customers at the Woodman for everything they have done, and continue to do, to raise much-needed funds for the hospice and to help families in need of hospice care and support.”
You can get behind the Woodman Wolves by leaving a message of support and donation on their JustGiving page. Are you ready to start your fundraising journey? Take a look at our website to see what fun events we have coming up!