South Tyneside charity chief enjoys purple patch for milestone celebration

Ann Walsh, who organises the annual Relay for Life at Monkton Stadium, Jarrow in aid of Cancer Research UK, is marking the milestone tenth anniversary of the event by calling on the community to line the track with purple scarves.

Now she is urging caring members of the public to get knitting and donating - to turn the July charity extravaganza into a sea of purple, the symbolic colour for survivors.

Mrs Walsh is hoping for 400m worth of scarves to line the route - with donations already flooding in from as far way as Guernsey and Pittsburgh.

The 22-hour event sees cancer survivors and charity fundraisers team up to walk continuous loops of the track at Monkton Stadium, in Dene Terrace.

Mrs Walsh is hoping to raise a fantastic £100,000 in the 10th anniversary event on July 16.

She is hoping for support closer to home on Saturday when the Relay for Life team take over the shed at Viking Precinct, in Jarrow.

People are urged to bring scarves or knit away to help boost the cause and celebrate World Knitting in Public Day from 10am until 4pm.

Two relay supporters, hairdressers Mark Young and John Stewart at ID Hair Salon, Coniston Avenue, Hebburn, are doing their fair share to help hit the target by threading their way to a gigantic 100 metre scarf.

Mrs Walsh was overwhelmed with the success of the scarve scheme last year - when a miles worth attire was handed in.

Mrs Walsh said; “This year we are asking for Purple scarves only - the colour of survivorship and Relay For Life

“We have been sent a purple scarf from Pittsburgh. We also have scarves from Guernsey.

“Two of our relayers own a hairdressing salon and they started knitting a scarf.

“customers came in and added to it and it is already 70 metres long.

“they have asked for any colour wool to represent different cancers and they are aiming to make a 100 metre scarf.

“At the relay, people will be able to pin messages on the scarf for those affected by cancer.”