July 12 2021 – Fantastic news! Our #JET10 Virtual Relay fundraiser weekend raised over £25,000 to help support the charity’s 10-year mission to reach 1 million young people by 2031.
Over the weekend of 10–11 July, 50 teams of competitors joined the #JET10 fundraising challenge from as far afield as Ascension Island, Australia and the USA. Each team of ten was asked to set their own challenge for their 10x10km relay in a way that best embodied JET’s ethos of ‘overcoming adversity’, and together teams ran, walked and even paddle boarded a collective 5,000km.
JET CEO, Dr Emma Egging, said that what impressed her most was how wholeheartedly the teams embraced the challenge element of the relay.
Emma said:
“We had teams pushing cars and pulling armoured vehicles and some teams ran in fancy dress including camel suits and tutus. There were also teams who competed with young children who had never attempted a 10km route before.”
“We’re incredibly grateful to have had such huge support from across the JET family, and it was especially heartening to see so many of our corporate partners joining in, as well as a huge number of RAF bases whose teams also act as inspirational mentors to our young students.” Emma added.
2021 is JET’s 10th anniversary year
Emma is no stranger to a physical challenge. This year marks ten years since the tragic death of her husband, Red Arrows pilot Jon Egging, in whose name she founded JET. To mark the anniversary and shine a spotlight on JET’s work, Emma is taking on ten epic challenges herself across the year including an ultramarathon and a 13-mile paddleboard.
“There’s a serious side to all that we’re doing,” says Emma. “We know that the vulnerable young people we support have been some of the hardest hit by Covid-19, and we now have a waiting list of schools wanting to sign pupils up to our programmes. This makes us more determined than ever to raise the necessary funds to allow us to expand and help ensure that no young person is left behind as a result of the pandemic.”
Get Set for JET Ride – coming soon!
For those wanting to take on a physical challenge of their own, JET’s next big fundraising event is JETRide on 26th September; a 50-100 mile cycling sportive that starts at RAF College Cranwell in Lincolnshire. To sign up to JETRide or learn more about JET’s vital work please visit JETRide.