Malc and Mates in the great north run

G' day Folks ! Guess what, it's that time of year again when I pester you all to ask if you'd be up for a wee sponsorship deal! Actually I'm planning to do the 'guess the race time' competition up at the club anyway but thought you might all be amused in some vague way by the following nonsense. Well that's another fine NESS we've got ourselves into! After Nessie's debut at the Great North Run last year.

(see: www.bbc.co.uk/tyne/content/imagegalleries/greatnorthrun2005startgallery.shtml?38

 for proof!),

We're testing our fitNESS by trying to beat last year's time for the 13.1 miles.

 But perhaps most importantly the search for Gunnell continues. Sally has ignored us for an interview for the last three years despite much ridiculousNESS in costumes (particularly Colin running as himself the first time), so we'll just have to run straight into her in the 12 foot-high Nessie outfit (see photo) and see if that gets her attention this year.

And the team has grown this year - Dunc and Jen have decided to join the LuNESSIE this year and are looking forward to their first half marathon (a fine way to celebrate their engagement I think you'll agree). Plus Rob gets married a week later! Between us all we're hatching a plan to take Nessie to a series of fund-raising runs over the next few years, potentially culminating in some adventurousNESS in the New York marathon... watch this space.

On a serious note, we're hoping that we can raise £10,000 for Cancer Research by taking part in all these events and getting sponsorship if we make it to the Big Apple, and our starting point is to raise at least £2,000 in this year's Great North Run. Colin's Dad, Kenneth McRae, died after a battle with cancer in 2002, and Dunc's Grandpa passed away last year, so we want to support Cancer Research UK in their memories.

We've really appreciated your generousNESS in sponsoring us in the past - to date we've raised and we're hoping that you will be willing to support our madNESS this year. So it would be fantastic if you could sponsor us on our website (click on the link below):

Cheers,

Malc (BaldNESS)

Colin (LardyNESS)

Rob (SmallNESS)

Jen (GingerNESS)

Dunc (GeekiNESS)