Not so much to do with the swim, but certainly Acorns related.... Shortly after Harry died in 2007, Lewis found some acorns in the local woods and planted them into pots. Two of them grew into oak trees. One of these trees was given to Acorns Hospice, and now resides in the front garden/parking area. The second tree was kept by us in a pot, pending us moving house. Once we had moved, and once Ali and I had sorted out the front garden, I planted Harry's tree. Today I noticed that it is now bearing its own acorns. So in the Year of the Swim, Harry's tree has come of age. |
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Today marks the seven week point, meaning there are just 49 days until my swim. I am now into my last five weeks of hard training. After that I will taper down for week six, and rest for the week prior to the Channel crossing. I have used the remaining few days of my annual leave from Dovetail to book several Friday's off, and Ali and I plan as many trips to Bournemouth as the weather will allow. It's all getting very real now. An ex army colleague, I an Davies, embarks on his relay challenge this week. And with the season well underway now, challenges are being attempted regularly. My JustGiving total currently stands at £5.500, with a further £360 still to be added. It's not too late to donate! Please go to https://www.justgiving.com/Alan-Gale1/ With just eight weeks to go before my Channel swim, it's time to really start to plug the fundraising. Esta is approaching every school in the Worcester area she has any dealings with, but if you know any schools (or businesses!) who may benefit from an educational/promotional talk, please do let me (and them) know. I will cover the concept of commitment, and how something like a Channel swim takes a year's worth of hard work and training. I'll also talk about Acorns, of course, including what they do, and why I'm subsequently taking on such an insane challenge - considering I'd never swum further than 2km when I came up with the notion of taking on the Everest of open water swims! I am also due to hold a stall at one or two school fetes in the next few weeks, complete with a collection bucket and happily handing out flyers. If anyone can think of any other promotional or fundraising ideas, please do get in touch. Feel free to continue to direct donors here: https://www.justgiving.com/Alan-Gale1/ Many thanks, Al Gale Monday 9th June saw me hit the ten week countdown mark (assuming I get to swim on 18th August). With all corporate sponsorship now in place, courtesy of Dovetail, Hallmark Hulme, Kendall Wadley, Rybrook Worcester, and Spire Southbank, I now want to heavily focus on closing in on the £10,000 for Acorns. My current total will stand at £5,500 once the final monies from the Dovetail Bake Sale have been allocated to the pot. What I need now is for everyone to really begin to network and to spread the word. This swim is no longer in the distant future - it's happening the month after next! If you know anyone in media - radio, TV, newspaper - please make them aware of this event. Swimming the Channel is a HUGE task, and I really do think that £10,000 is not a vast amount to raise within the Three Counties for something of this magnitude. I cannot find reference to anyone else having done it, so it does seem to be the first attempt from our region. Please also feel free to point people directly to my JustGiving page. Thanks in advance. Al |
Alan GaleOne time soldier, part-time author, full-time training manager, husband and father. Archives
January 2024
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