XLCR team to run Manchester 10k in Ben's memory
On May 22nd, the XLCR team will be running in the name of BK’s Heroes, a charitable fund set up by Ben King, who tragically died in February, to raise funds and awareness for brain and kidney disease.
Ben had suffered from kidney disease since the age of five, undergoing a transplant donated by his father, Dave, when he was 17.
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Hide AdMatters appeared to be improving for the chef, who worked at the Sparrowhawk in Fence, until his new kidney began to fail in September of last year, leading doctors to discover the 27 year-old had an inoperable brain tumour.
So far, more than £9,000 has been raised in the name of BK’s Heroes, and with Ben Metcalfe, Head of Marketing for car-leasing company XLCR, and up to 20 other members of staff taking part in the run, that figure could swell over the next month.
“We’ve got a couple of lads who knew Ben well and played rugby with him and they suggested that we run for BK’s Heroes,” said Mr Metcalfe.
“We run it every year for a different charity and this year they’ve asked us to do it for Ben’s charity.
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Hide Ad“It’s a good way of keeping everyone happy and boosting moral, it gets us all training together and then we have a good day out on the run.”
Ben King, a former Nelson and Colne College student, spent Christmas in hospital on a dialysis machine. Due to his cancer, he was not eligible for a kidney transplant, and as a result of subsequent impaired renal functions, he was unable to undergo the necessary chemotherapy. He died in the new year surrounded by his family.
But with the likes of the XLCR crew, Ben’s memory and eternally positive outlook lives on stronger than ever.