As the last few days and hours tick by for businessman Dean Attwell preparing to undertake the coldest endurance challenge of his life, colleagues, friends and family members joined together for a fundraising lunch to support and wish him well in his endeavour.
Oakland International employees ‘dressed down’ for the day and took part in a lunch-fundraiser of hearty stew or sausage, mash and Yorkshire puddings and a tasty dessert of crumble and custard along with a whole variety of yummy-tasting cupcakes with proceeds from the event adding to Dean’s fundraising pot destined for Cancer Research UK.
Dean from Redditch, who is personally funding the trip, will leave on Monday 10th April, is now in the finishing stages of carrying out final kit inspections and some last-minute shopping.
Dean commented: “I’ve reached my daily training target to build my cardio, overall strength and balance, which has involved over 2 hours training each day including a couple of marathons each week, so now it’s down to sorting the basics of packing and last minute protein snack buying and purchasing a new camera that will work in the extreme cold!
“I am so grateful to everyone for supporting this lunch fundraiser and for all the donations I’ve already received. My sincere thanks to the whole Oakland International team, our customers, suppliers and our partners, as it will be your support that gets me through.”
Life at the North Pole will involve walking for up to ten-hours a day in potentially minus 45 degrees centigrade in extreme conditions over snow and arctic ice, for up to sixteen days.
Dean added: “I still have a way to go to reach my £100,000 target, I’m not giving up as every pound will help to ensure Cancer Research UK reach their target of helping three-quarters of people affected by cancer survive the disease by 2034!”
The Polar Explorer team will be doing daily blogs starting 12th April, so everyone can keep up to date with their progress: http://www.polarexplorers.com/polarexplorers-media/blog/expedition-updates/itemlist/category/40-2017-north-pole-expeditions
Dean added: “Taking a conference call with the Polar Explorers team last week and speaking to some of the expedition team members, who I’ve not met yet, makes it all very real.”
If you would like to support Dean and Cancer Research UK you can via his JustGiving page: (www.justgiving.com/fundraising/NorthPoleDean) or you can send a cheque made payable to: Cancer Research UK c/o Jane Thompson, Oakland International, Seafield Lane, Beoley, Redditch B98 9DD.