YEOVIL HALF MARATHON 2017: Look out for the giant SchoolBag!

ONE runner who will be lining up at the start of Sunday’s (March 26, 2017) Yeovil Half Marathon will be the chief executive of local charity School in a Bag – dressed as a SchoolBag.

Luke Simon has taken part in the previous three half marathons where he has been seen pushing children Evie and Iris around the course in a buggy, but this year he needed a new challenge.

“I have always wanted to make a SchoolBag outfit to run in and this is it,” he said.

“The framework is made from plumbing push-fit piping attached to a modified harness on a rucksack and the red shell is the creative mastery of Wendy, the seamstress from Sherborne.”

School in a Bag – an initiative of the Piers Simon Appeal – supports poor, vulnerable and orphaned children in countries around the globe by providing them with a school bag full of everyday learning materials and equipment along with eating and drinking utensils.

PHOTO – ABOVE: Click on the link above to see a video of Luke Simon explaining his SchoolBag running outfit.

PHOTO – RIGHT: Luke Simon in his giant SchoolBag outfit.

Earlier this month the charity – based at Chilthorne Domer just outside of Yeovil – reached the milestone of distributing 75,000 SchoolBags to children in 35 differnet countries.

But Luke said: “This is 0.1% of the estimated 75,000,000 children who don't have the opportunity to go to school every day.

“A SchoolBag for these children is absolutely vital - most learn by trying to remember the information so the contents provide all of the essential items to enable them to get a much better education.

“An education for these children is their passport to a life out of poverty and hardship.”

Luke added: “The aim of the SchoolBag outfit is to raise awareness as i trudge the 13.1 miles around the Yeovil course.

“However, if you can help me reach my target of £500 it will fund a further 25 SchoolBags (£20 each) and give 25 children the chance to a brighter future.

“Many thanks for your continued support.”

To sponsor Luke go to https://t.co/6RfmlV1oqa#Runningforfun .

The Piers Simon Appeal was formed following the Boxing Day Tsunami of 2004 where Piers, 33, a former Yeovil College student, was killed along with hundreds of thousands of others in Asia.

The main Yeovil Half Marathon will start in South Street, Yeovil, at 9am on Sunday (March 26, 2017).

More Yeovil Half Marathon details on this link here - http://www.yeovilpress.co.uk/blog/2017/03/19/yeovil-half-marathon-2017-just-a-week-to-go-still-time-to-enter/  .

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