Cricket fans are being offered the chance to be part of a world record-breaking event and help raise thousands of pound for Cancer Research UK (CRUK).
The record bid to create the biggest human exclamation mark is taking place at Hampshire’s Vitality Blast match against Essex Eagles at the Ageas Bowl on Sunday 12th August.
Delivering the PR for this exciting event, Lee Peck Media is a member of the newly-formed organisation Southampton Beats Cancer (SBC) – a group of leading businesses across the city who have united to join the fight against cancer through regular fundraising initiatives.
The SBC which has representatives from businesses including Old Mutual Wealth, Aviva Health Insurance, St James Place Wealth Management, Paris Smith, Executive Headhunters and the Ageas Bowl are launching a multi-year fundraising campaign.
Thanks to the generosity of the public, CRUK has been at the heart of progress that has seen cancer survival in the UK double in the last 40 years. In the South cancer death rates have decreased 10 percent in the past 10 years.
But there is still much to be done. In Southampton alone, around 510 people still lose their lives to cancer every year.
CRUK is the world’s leading cancer charity dedicated to saving lives through research. Last year the charity spent more than £6m in Southampton, where more than 150 scientists, doctors and nurses are working to beat cancer sooner.
Work is specifically focussed on tackling oesophageal, bowel, breast and head and neck cancers while our CRUK-funded Clinical Trials Unit is working with local researchers to design and run trials of new treatments and therapies, recruiting patients both from Southampton and across the UK.
Hampshire Cricket staff, Club captain James Vince and batsman Chris Wood are throwing their weight behind the record-breaking attempt and are hoping to get more than 3,000 cricket fans on to the outfield to help them achieve it. The current record was made in Spain in 2016 when 806 people formed a human exclamation mark.
Stuart Robertson, Director at the Ageas Bowl, said: “We want to make sure that not only do we break the record but we make it stand for some time. The great thing is that we will have a big crowd attending the Vitality Blast fixture on the day and we hope our supporters will get behind us and help raise vital funds for a good cause.
Fans wanting to take part will be asked to make a £10 donation to Cancer Research UK and be invited on to the pitch following Hampshire’s clash with Essex.
They will be given a light-weight poncho (which must be worn under strict rules set by Guinness World Records) and asked to stand in a marked out exclamation mark.
Official adjudicators will be on hand to announce if the record has been officially broken.
Mr Robertson added: “It should take no more than 30 minutes before we know if we have managed to break the world record. I am confident our supporters will get behind us for what is a very good cause close to all our hearts.
Nick Johnson, Local Fundraising Manager for CRUK, said: “We chose an exclamation mark for our world record attempt as our vision is to bring forward the day when all cancers ae cured. One in two people in the UK will be diagnosed with cancer at some point in their lives and we couldn’t continue our life-saving work without the support of the public.”
People can register for the attempt and find full details of how to donate and more information about Southampton Beats Cancer at www.ageasbowl.com/worldrecord.