Pat,

It's Gold Coast Airport Marathon time - only 6 days to go! I ran my first and last Marathon on the pancake flat course that is blessed with picturesque surroundings.

2008 is the third year that my Brisbane based running group (PCRG) has involved a charity with our Gold Coast Airport Marathon campaign. In 2006 we raised $5500 for the Queensland Cancer Fund and last year we raised $19,287 for Childhood Cancer Support.

This year we are raising money for a 14 year old Brisbane boy, Oliver Collins (Ollie) who suffers from Fibrodysplasic Ossificans Progressiva (FOP).

FOP is a disease that you have probably never heard of. Certainly it was a mystery to me until recently. It is an extremely rare yet shocking genetic condition that causes muscles, tendons, ligaments and other connective tissues to form into bone. This results in extra bone forming across existing bone which in effect imprisons the body in bone. Children are born with FOP and there is no treatment and no cure. Attempts to remove the extra bone surgically only cause this crippling condition to worsen. The outlook for FOP sufferers is extremely dire.

Ollie can walk only short distances and has limited movement in his elbows & wrists. Soon he will be unable to walk at all. Despite this he has a great attitude, a positive outlook on life, and is somehow philosophical about what the future holds for him.

Here are a few words from Ollie: One of the important things for me in life is to give everything a go and not give up when the going gets tough. Instead of focusing on FOP as it progresses or when it causes me pain, I focus on having fun and enjoying my teenage years as much as possible. Nobody got anywhere worrying about something they couldn't change.

Yes, Ollie is a brave young boy and a more than worthy PCRG charity beneficiary.

PCRG's aim is to provide Ollie with a motorised beach wheelchair and to cover the cost involved in heating his family swimming pool which will provide Ollie with daily hydrotherapy. Any surplus funds raised will go towards numerous other items, eg; a $50,000 specialised powered wheelchair. To be honest with you, the list of items that Ollie will require is endless.

I'm therefore inviting you to sponsor my Gold Coast Half Marathon run. If you do have surplus funds that you would like to donate to a more than worthy cause you will find the payment options noted below.
NB: Unfortunately donations ARE NOT tax deductible.

1) EFT
Oliver Collins Fundraiser A/C
Suncorp
BSB: 484799
Account: 026630600
Reference: please use your surname

2) CHEQUE
payable to:
Oliver Collins Fundraiser A/C
Address:
Dig deep for Ollie
86 Bundah St
Camp Hill Qld 4152

3) Credit Card
Please phone Tammy Booth: 0412 678041

If you do forward a donation you are welcome to advise me via email and I can arrange for a (non tax deductible) receipt to be forwarded to you. I sincerely wish you all the best if you are running in either the Gold Coast Airport Marathon/Half Marathon or 10K.

Cheers

Pat Carroll

Only 6 days to go!

Gold Coast 2008 here we come!

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