HUNDREDS of dressed-up Santa’s will be running in a festive charity fundraiser this December.
Organised by the Rotary Club of Reading, families and individuals will race around the town for the Reading Santa Run on Sunday, December 12.
The event will be supporting two charities, the Reading Refugee Support Group and The Thames Valley Air Ambulance.
Starting and finishing in Forbury Gardens, families can choose to take part in the 3 mile (5km) festive run or the smaller Mini Santa and Elf Run, which is 0.62 miles (1km).
The main race, which begins at 10am, will lead runners through Market Place, Broad Street and the Oracle shopping centre.
It then takes the scenic route along the Kennet before crossing the river to return to Reading through Chestnut Walk and the Oscar Wilde gates.
Starting at 9.30am, the mini race will see parents, dressed as Santa’s, and children, dressed as Elves, pass through Market Place and Broad Street.
Participants of either run can choose to raise money for the designated charities, their own organisation or the local rotary charities.
Jonjo Warrick, Fundraising and communications manager at Reading Refugee Support Group, said the charity is “unbelievably excited” to be part of the Reading Santa Run.
“Since the recent Afghanistan Crisis, we’re now supporting more than 500 Afghan men, women and children living in temporary housing locally with no support from the government,” he said.
“The money we raise at the Santa Run will help us to give them mental health support, social activities, advice, internet access, and one-to-one befriending that they urgently need.”
For more information, or to register, log on to: readingsantarun.org.uk
