A charity fun day featuring a 24-hour relay run and touch rugby tournament has raised more than £35,000 for a charity seeking to provide medical screenings for young people in Eden.
Last weekend’s phenomenally well supported event at Penrith Rugby Club was held in memory of former first team player and firefighter Ryan Johnson. Ryan was aged 34 when he died following a sudden and tragic heart attack while training at the club’s Winters Park home in early December, 2022.
Just weeks earlier, CRY for EDEN had been formed — as a branch of UK charity Cardiac Risk in the Young — to raise money and fund heart screenings for teenagers and young adults in the community. Several people have been referred for further medical scrutiny as a result of the screenings held so far.
Last weekend’s fund-raiser was organised after Eden village neighbours Donna and Andy Mills spoke with Gary and Rachel Johnson about connecting the charity with the rugby club community to raise awareness and money, and have players scanned.
“Donna, and CRY for EDEN, had already been involved with the young football community and as Donna knew I was heavily involved with Penrith RUFC she approached me and we discussed how we could get the rugby club involved,” said Gary.
“The art of planning anything like this is to bring in dedicated people, experts in their field and people that you can trust to deliver. Through our network of local connections, our planning team grew and some amazing people came on board.”
The event included an eight-team touch rugby festival which allowed male and female players of all ages to be involved.
A fundraising 24-hour relay run began on Friday evening with members of Penrith’s Old Codgers Club (OCC) joining two dozen others for a packed first leg. Around 30 OCC members were involved in the run — or walk as the case may be! They donated £1,000 to the charity and one of their members, John Siddle, a former rugby club president, said: “It was amazing — it was the biggest day Penrith Rugby Club has ever had.”
In total, 837 people filled all available slots and passed through a start-finish line under a distinctive pink digger provided by Eden firm Waiting’s Ltd.
The rugby tournament kicked off after teams entered the field through a smoke tunnel and to chosen walk-on songs, with members of Aspire Cheerleaders forming a guard of honour.
During an opening ceremony, Adam Day introduced teams before former first-teamer Gavin Hamilton gave a stunning rendition of Jerusalem and 20 white doves were released.
“The rugby that followed was high quality with each match being played both competitively and in the right spirit. No scores were kept and there were no winners, just good sportsmanship and crack,” said Gary.
An emotional final leg of the relay was tackled by Ryan’s wife Shiona and other Johnson family members.
Other entertainment was provided during the day along with a grand raffle and silent auction before musical evening entertainment from Gary Atkinson, three members of the band Soul Survivors and DJ Joe Dent.
Gary said: “My biggest take from the event was that it was originally targeted to bring the rugby community together, and what it actually did was bring a large number of people from across the whole community together.
“Young and old — everyone — had the best time. I sat back several times through the day and night and took pride in what we had achieved while looking out across the crowds of people with smiles on their faces and not a mobile phone in sight. All this fun while raising a huge amount of money for CRY for EDEN.”
Donna spoke of an “absolutely amazing” event.
“Everything ran like clockwork,” said Donna, who thanked her husband Andy, Gary and Rachel Johnson, Jamie Walker, Mo Geranshoab, Hannah Bardgett, Fiona Askins and Alistair Urquhart. “The feedback from everybody that was there was incredible. It just felt like the whole community had come together. It really felt special.
“Everybody just wanted to be a part of it and feel like they were involved. It was just lovely. We’re so grateful to everybody who gave up their time.”
By Wednesday, the money raised had topped £35,000. It costs £13,000 to screen 200 people.
There are screening sessions already arranged for later this year and from early 2025.
Ryan’s parents Spike and Fiona said it had been a “bitter-sweet” occasion for the family. “It was a great day, well organised and there was a lot of effort put in,” he told the Herald. “The whole family hopes that if anybody has got a defect it’s spotted by a screening. Even if one or two people get referred then it’s worth it.”
Spike and Fiona, who tragically lost another son, 19-year-old Luke, in a car crash during 2005, added: “It just shows what a fantastic community we live in. They always support stuff and get behind you.
“Our family has had support for the last 19 years since Luke died. And since Ryan died we’ve had nothing but support.
“We are grateful for all the support as a family but would especially like to thank all the sponsors who, in the main, were Ryan’s friends through rugby and work.
“The day has been as successful as it has because of Ryan’s popularity in the community.”
Donations can still be made to the Eden charity’s ring-fenced JustGiving online page.
