Cheeky run helps raise funds for charity
A social media comment about a football match has led to a cheeky charity run by a Staffordshire man.
West Bromwich Albion fan Andrew Grainger was settling down to watch his team play Manchester City and was posting on social media about the game.
The 41-year-old from Cheslyn Hay put a message on Twitter saying that if his team could keep the score under five, he would streak through the streets of the village.
He said: “The game finished 1-1 and I thought nothing more of it until people started coming back to me about the tweet and challenging me to do something about it.
“I was prepared to go and do it straight away, but I realised I’d probably get arrested, so I started discussing with people about a suitable time and date and to do it for charity.”
Mr Grainger said he chose to fundraise for the Trussell Trust as it was a local charity and he wanted to ensure the money raised could help people in his community.
He completed the mile-long run, which was called “Grannies naked mile” after his nickname, around Cheslyn Hay on Boxing Day, all while wearing just a Santa hat and Santa thong.
The run has raised more than £2,000 for the Trussell Trust, which provides emergency food and support to people in crisis, and Mr Grainger said it was worth the discomfort to help the charity.
He said: “The general atmosphere on the day was really positive and there were lots of people out cheering me on.
“I’m not the fittest man in the world and running a mile after getting out of bed was a tough ask, but I enjoyed it in the end and did the run in about 12 minutes.
"It brought a lot of happiness to a lot of people and I want to thank everyone who donated.”
To find out more and to make a donation, go to justgiving.com/fundraising/ho-ho-hopeless-baggies
