Rugby League star Kevin Sinfield’s attempt to run seven marathons in seven days for the Motor Neurone Disease Association (MNDA) and his friend, the former player Rob Burrow, has raised £2.3m.
The initial target was to raise £77,777 to support Burrow, who revealed he had Motor Neurone Disease in 2019, and the MNDA.
But the attempt has far outstripped that figure and is now at £2,336,946 with support from more than 100,000 donors, according to Sinfield’s JustGiving page.
Sinfield, the former Leeds Rhinos captain and current director of rugby at the club, began his fundraising attempt on 1 December. The focus is on seven is because that was Burrow’s shirt number at the club.
Each run has started at 7am each day and finishes before 1am in the Leeds area.
Thank you to everyone at @BBCBreakfast for their incredible support and to @clarebalding, @GaryLineker, @DoddieWeir5 & Stephen Darby for their kind messages for Kevin Sinfield and to @Rob7Burrow and his family for being our inspiration.
— Leeds Rhinos (@leedsrhinos) December 7, 2020
Please donate https://t.co/z64psBW7iZ https://t.co/hU7tLtS65e
“I am so proud to be wearing the MND Association vest and I am immensely proud to wear the number 7 on my back for our friend,” said Sinfield.
“The combination of those two is so, so powerful. This money will enable to the MND Association to do so much good so please do keep donating.”
A key factor in the success of the campaign has been the substantial media coverage it has attracted during the event.
This personalised campaign mirrors the success of Captain Tom Moore’s record breaking fundraiser for NHS Charities Together to walk around his garden 100 times to mark his 100th birthday.
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