Santa Run 2023 a great success

Sunday 11^th December saw Narberth &Whitland Rotary Club hold the third in their series of annual “Santa Runs”. The brainchild of Rtn. Ken Morgan PHF, this year’s run was held at Whitland, starting and finishing at the Bowls Club. The morning dawned cold and dry with conditions a bit slippery underfoot. However, after a brief from Ken the 70 Santas ran, walked and wobbled around the course with Mrs Santa, Rtn. Elaine Bradbury and Rudolph bringing up the rear to ensure no stragglers were left behind. Helping them around the course and ensuring no-one became lost were the cadets from Whitland Air Cadet Corps. Welcoming the runners on their return was Father Christmas himself (aka Rtn. John Sleigh) handing out good cheer, along with chocolate and sweets to help replenish depleted energy levels! Additionally, fruit squash and mulled wine together with mince pies and yule log were served, whilst lady members of the Bowls Club supplied hot food catering. Following the refreshments Rtn. Ken then hosted his “Heads & Tails” fun activity raffles with the lucky winners claiming age-appropriate prizes of bottles of wine or boxes of sweets.

Once again, the event proved to be fun & enjoyable raising some £1200 to help support the Whitland food band and other Rotary charities.

Thanks must go the following who supplied invaluable support and sponsorship for the event:

Whitland Bowling Club, Cllr. Len Shipton, Rotary DG Wayne Morgan, Cllr. Susan Allen, Ieuan Griffiths, Whitland Ambulance First Responders, Mr Richard Davies, Revelation Signs, Davies Builders Merchants, Sqn Ldr Butler and the Whitland Air Cadet Corps, Narberth & Whitland Round Table, Castell Howell, The Co-op, Gus from Premier Newsagents and Tammy at Bakers House.

REPORT AND THANKS by event organiser Rotarian Ken Morgan

 

Dear All

 

What a fantastic example of Community Teamwork in Whitland today. Our Treasurer Sue Pridmore will eventually Tally up all entry receipts and further bucket donations and then give us an overall total of funds raised.

 

As the co-ordinator of the event I need to express my thanks to all those who participated in particular ways.

 

Team 1 – Nigel Towns, Phill Thompson and I set up all the road signs yesterday. Today Past Rotarian Ieuan Griffiths assisted Nigel in placing the motorists danger signs on the major roads.  and then spread grit on the footpaths nearest to the Bowling Club and the private drive of Mr Richard Davies. (In particular I would like to thank Mr Davies) for allowing us to run through his private drive).

 

Team 2 – Narberth & Whitland Round Table provided the Sleigh driven by past member Robbie Burns. Santa (John Sleigh sitting in the Sleigh !) received the children at the end of the run. Paul Crawford set up the music and was our resident photographer/press reporter. Meryl with Leah helped the children up and down the steps. Sweets were donated by The Co-op and Gus at Premier Newsagents.

 

Team 3 -  Elaine Bradbury, Sue Pridmore and Rob Elward ran the Registration desk and handed out all the suits.

 

Team 4 – Barbara Rumbold and Kenna Crawford took over the preparation and serving of the Mulled wine with Orange pieces and the warmed mince pies – goods supplied by Castell Howell. This left Kathy and Cally Jones from the Bowling Club team to prepared the lunch for the Air cadets.

 

Team 5 – We could never have run such a smooth event without the extra 9 Whitland Air Cadets and their Squadron Leader Kris Butler and Staff Sergeant May. They started the day lifting out heavy benches and tables from inside the bowling club to provide the refreshment Zone and then packed them all away at the end of the run. In between they demonstrated warm up exercises for all the entrants for 10 minutes before the run and then went off to Marshall  the route in different areas around the town. Finally at the end of the run they handed out th and the registration members.e commemoration medals and helped to serve the soft drinks and mince pies to the entrants. A SPLENDID EFFORT – they deserved their lunch donated by the Whitland Bowling club Chair person Cally Jones and Kathy. Rotarian Charles Clewett did a great job liaising with the cadets.

 

Team 6 - We could never have achieved such a good entry responses without the indefatigable Social media Guru Rotarian Mary Adams who will be our next year’s District Governor. She achieved over 10K hits on facebook so the message was certainly out in the big wide world. She had a roving photographer’s role and has already posted dozens of beautiful photographs on Facebook. Rotarian John Hughes also controlled the advertising on the Rotary website and created the Banner Designs printed by Revelation signs and Donated by Davies Builders’ Merchants. The Road signs advising Motorists to slow down were also donated by Sam Bloxham of Revelation signs.

 

Finally, having described the teams structures there was a great deal of “ad libs” when one task was finished all team members diversified and took on extra tasks to keep things running smoothly.

 

My thanks to everybody who helped in this great adventure to raise funds for the Whitland Food bank.

 

HOT OFF THE PRESS

Our Treasurer Sue Pridmore has just sent me this note:

 

Just to advise that i have totted up the numbers.

 

Overall total                     £1196.85

Pictured in enclosed photographs are IPP Rtn Elaine Bradbury dressed as Rudolph a selection of the Santas and Rotary District Governor Wayne Morgan in the sleigh with Father Christmas.